The Stan Richards School of Advertising may retain its name, but The Richards Group does not.
The Dallas agency is changing its name and logo to TRG, Ad Age has learned. The move will further distance The Richards Group, known by that moniker since 1976, from its founder Stan Richards. Richards resigned in 2020 following racist remarks he made during a meeting with a client.
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A spokeswoman confirmed the name change, saying, “We think of this less as a change and more as a transition. Our goal is to celebrate what made us successful: creativity, collaboration, inclusiveness and innovation. Shortening our name allows us to celebrate our past, our present and our fearless future.”
“He is no longer our owner”
The change was announced internally and comes a week after it was reported that Stan Richards’ holding company, SBR Real Estate Holdings LP, had sold the Dallas headquarters that was built to house the agency in 2013. The agency is still “undecided” about whether it will remain at the Dallas Parkway address and is currently in talks with the building’s new owners, a spokeswoman said.
“Stan Richards has not been part of our agency since October 2020 – and as of last week he is no longer our owner – but we have updated him on the evolution of our agency’s brand identity,” said said the spokeswoman. “He wants us to succeed and understands our desire to move on to a new look and a much more progressive vision.”
Although the Richards band name remains on the agency’s website, there are already hints of the change. The homepage and careers page include reference to TRG as well as the agency’s Instagram, Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter.
When asked when the change will be complete, the spokeswoman said: “There is still a tremendous amount of work to do on our new visual identity and no definitive timeline for the official adoption of TRG. But it is official that we are different – we are a people-run, non-profit creativity collective.”
