Bob Welke has over 40 years in the advertising industry. He began his career in Milwaukee as a copywriter free lancing radio spots, and then moved to Chicago where he rose to the title of Chief Creative Officer at Leo Burnett, USA. He has also served as Chairman, Chief Creative Officer of EuroRSCG Tatham. In 2003, he partnered in the formation of Ebel Signorelli Welke. That group held a controlling interest in the Milwaukee agency, Blue Horse. When the two organizations agreed to separate, Bob accepted an invitation to return to his hometown as CEO of Blue Horse.
Bob has been a judge, speaker and/or recipient at almost every major award show in the industry. His strategic insight and creative skill has brought dramatic results to brands ranging from package goods to casual dining to financial services. He has an extensive list of clients he has done work for, including Procter & Gamble, General Motors, Sony, Pillsbury, KFC, Midas, Red Lobster and others. Currently, Blue Horse clients include, among others, American Family Insurance, Wal-Mart and U.S. Cellular.
Bob currently serves on the board of directors of the Milwaukee Repertory Theater and chairs the Rep’s Marketing Committee. He also serves on the board of Strive Media Institute, a non-profit organization that mentors urban teens to become media professionals through on-the-job training. Bob is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
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How was the name Blue Horse chosen?
Thanks,
David
Thanks for the question! Blue Horse is an agency that dates back over fifty years. Like a lot of other ad agencies, it has undergone lots of mergers and changes to the point where, in the mid-90’s, the name would’ve been something like “Fuller, Beatty, Luskin, Thiede, Eeny, Meeny, Miney and Moe.” So Tom Thiede proposed a name that would circumvent all of that; something that people would remember. Today, lots of folks are calling themselves, “Snap.” “Crackle,” “Pop” and whatever. Tom was a bit of a visionary. But he’s never ‘fessed up to why “blue” and “horse.” By the way, Tom also named something called the “Waverunner.”