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Thom Sandberg is always searching for a better way. This led him to his obsessive involvement with computer design over a fifteen years ago and their use in advertising and design. Today he is acknowledged as one of the leaders in the field.
Thom's interest in advertising started at sixteen, when he created his first direct mail campaign to find a job in advertising. By sending out his rather humble resume to all advertising agencies in the yellow pages "A" through "M" (the amount of postage his allowance would cover), he soon had a job at Batton, Barton, Durstine and Osborne. Sandberg stayed at BBDO for six years while finishing college. Satisfying a severe travel itch, Sandberg took off for several years and worked abroad for agencies in London, Istanbul and Tokyo. To further his travel experience he crewed on cargo ships, packed fish in Venice and sold blue jeans on the black market in Tehran.
Upon his return, Sandberg worked his way up through several Twin Cities agencies including stints at Carmichael-Lynch (where he first worked with his future business partner Duane Johnson), and at D'arcy, MacManus & Masius as associate creative director. Sandberg worked solo for several years before founding the Kenyon Consortium with Duane Johnson in 1984.
The Kenyon Consortium opened its doors twenty years ago as a diversified communications workshop. The Consortium's activities include strategy, brand and product identity, packaging, advertising, design and interactive media. Ten years ago Sandberg sold Kenyon to Fallon Worldwide. Sandberg re-acquired the company three years ago.
Kenyon has assisted clients such as Unitedhealth Group, Brunswick, Disney World, Hubbard Broadcasting and General Electric reach upstream and negotiate the leap from business opportunities to compelling customer-driven concepts.
Sandberg is also creator of The Mr. Little Guy elf door, at Lake Harriet in Minneapolis. Visit www.kenyon2.com/mlg for more information on this local landmark.
Sandberg and his wife, Martha - a wardrobe stylist for television commercials - live in Minneapolis, and divide their time between raising their thirteen year old daughter, Alta Lucia, restoring their prairie style home and looking for any excuse to leave the country.
