The Top 11 Reasons Why Chicago Is The Best Place To Work In Advertising

For over a decade, Plan B has happily called Chicago its home base. There’s just something about living in a big city with Midwest charm that makes it impossible to imagine moving our agency’s headquarters anywhere else, and our near north side address in the River North neighborhood is the perfect bridge between the downtown business district and Chicago’s booming bar and restaurant scene.

However, at times we hear some “coasties” in the ad industry rag on our fair city. You’d think that being located in the inland U.S. is comparable to Siberia from the way people talk about the “City of Big Shoulders,” and it’s not something our big-shouldered selves agree with in the slightest (though it admittedly does get very cold here in the winter).

The truth is, Chicago is just like any other big city in many ways when it comes to advertising. We serve large clients, have dedicated agencies and a variety of people from all walks of life who come to the Windy City for a place in the industry. But the reasons advertising flourishes in Chicago unlike anywhere else are innumerous. So for brevity’s sake, we proudly present the “Top 11 Reasons Why Chicago is the Best Place to Work in Advertising.”

  1. Anywhere you go, Lake Michigan is just a short trip away. There’s nothing quite like packing for a day at work and including a swimsuit and sunblock.
  2. The Chicago Food Truck Movement is in its infancy and growing exponentially. Your next meal could be parked right outside your office.
  3. Cars? Really? Why park downtown when you can ride the (rat-free) ‘L’ and take in views of Chicago’s majestic skyline on your commute?
  4. An office outing to the friendly confines of Wrigley Field, Soldier Field, U.S. Cellular Field or the United Center? Believe it.
  5. Here, hotdogs and pizza are considered gourmet foods, and are perfectly acceptable dining options when taking a client out for a meal. In fact, they’ll probably thank you for it.
  6. Outdoor advertising opportunities here are plentiful. From billboards to graffiti art, ads help flavor the city’s unique visual landscape.
  7. The streets here a relatively clean. Munching on a tamale that fell into traffic while you were hustling from one meeting to another? Hey, if you choose to utilize the 5-second rule, at least you’ll have some piece of mind.
  8. Have a day off? Ferris Bueller already left a cinematic blueprint for taking advantage of the sites and attractions Chicago has to offer over the course of a normal 9 to 5 day.
  9. Locals here are polite and accommodating. Expect visiting clients to hear “please” and “thank you” more than profanities, and find doors held open for them instead of slammed in their faces.
  10. A night on the town with co-workers will vary every time. What better way to get to know your colleagues than ending up lost in one of the city’s most unique neighborhoods at 2 a.m.? It’s better team building than trust-falls.

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CHICAGO AND ADVERTISING HAVE A LONG, MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL HISTORY. SO, IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A LOCATION WHERE THE INDUSTRY “SCENE” IS AS INDESTRUCTIBLE AS THE SOUL OF THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE, CONSIDER YOURSELF HOME.

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