Lynn Hauldren
Encyclopedia
Elmer Lynn Hauldren was an advertising copywriter based in Chicago
who was best known for originating the television character The Empire Man, the spokesman for Empire Today
.
. During World War II
, he served as a radio operator in Asia
along the Burma Road
from India
to China
. While delivering supplies along the road, Hauldren's unit came under fire. When Hauldren visited the area in 2005, he was greeted as a hero by locals.
Following the war, Hauldren was a copywriter at Young & Rubicam
, Bozell Jacobs and DDB Needham. He later resided in Evanston, Illinois
. Lynn Hauldren was married to Helen Helmke Hauldren and the parent of six children, 15 grand-children, and 10 great-grandchildren. Two of his grand-children are the tenor Matthew Polenzani
and the singer-songwriter Rose Polenzani
.
, with Hauldren continuing to provide voice-overs. A sampling of Lynn's famous commercials can be found on the Empire Carpet video site and other facts about the Empire Man character can be found at Empire Carpet Man website.
Hauldren also wrote the tune used to accompany the singing of the company's phone number, and recorded the jingle
with an a cappella group, The Fabulous 40s. The famous Empire Today advertising jingle (eight hundred, five-eight-eight, two, three-hundred Empire Today!) has made the Empire Today phone number one of the most recognized numbers in the country.
Hauldren recorded several albums with the barbershop quartet Chordiac Arrest including Live and Well and Second Opinion. The group also released a live performance video entitled Chordiac Arrest! The Video. In 2007 Hauldren formed a new vocal quartet called Chordplay that has appeared on television. In 2005, Hauldren appeared in a comedic short video for the stage show, Big Time Tonight, written by comedian Landon Kirksey. The video features Kirksey's character entering a bar and receiving sage-like advice from Hauldren himself. He was known to say of himself "I don't own the company, I can't install carpet, and I'm not an actor." When asked for autographs, he'd reply "I'm not an actor or a celebrity. I'm a pitchman; a glorified salesman."
Hauldren died in his Evanston, Illinois
home on April 26, 2011, aged 89. His family stated that he died from "natural causes". Following his death, Empire Today launched a tribute to Hauldren and The Empire Man. The tribute indicated that he will, "always have a special place in the hearts of many."
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
who was best known for originating the television character The Empire Man, the spokesman for Empire Today
Empire Today
Empire Today, LLC is a Northlake, Illinois-based home improvement and home furnishing company, specializing in installed carpet, flooring, and window treatments. The company operates in more than 45 major metropolitan areas in the United States, making it one of the leading providers of installed...
.
Life and career
Hauldren was born in MissouriMissouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he served as a radio operator in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
along the Burma Road
Burma Road
The Burma Road is a road linking Burma with the southwest of China. Its terminals are Kunming, Yunnan, and Lashio, Burma. When it was built, Burma was a British colony.The road is long and runs through rough mountain country...
from India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
to China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. While delivering supplies along the road, Hauldren's unit came under fire. When Hauldren visited the area in 2005, he was greeted as a hero by locals.
Following the war, Hauldren was a copywriter at Young & Rubicam
Young & Rubicam
Y&R is a marketing and communications company specializing in advertising, digital and social media, sales promotion, direct marketing and brand identity consulting.-History:...
, Bozell Jacobs and DDB Needham. He later resided in Evanston, Illinois
Evanston, Illinois
Evanston is a suburban municipality in Cook County, Illinois 12 miles north of downtown Chicago, bordering Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, and Wilmette to the north, with an estimated population of 74,360 as of 2003. It is one of the North Shore communities that adjoin Lake Michigan...
. Lynn Hauldren was married to Helen Helmke Hauldren and the parent of six children, 15 grand-children, and 10 great-grandchildren. Two of his grand-children are the tenor Matthew Polenzani
Matthew Polenzani
Matthew Polenzani is an American lyric tenor, born in Evanston, Illinois. He has appeared with the Metropolitan Opera of New York, the Seattle Opera, and other companies. He has also sung with numerous symphony orchestras. Polenzani earned a bachelor’s degree from Eastern Illinois University in...
and the singer-songwriter Rose Polenzani
Rose Polenzani
Rose Polenzani is an independent folk musician. She was raised in the Chicago area and attended Knox College before leaving to pursue a singing career. She is currently living in Boston, Massachusetts. Her singing style is distinctive and emotionally charged. At least one free download is always...
.
Empire Man character
Hauldren was working on the Empire Carpet account in 1977 and could not find an actor the company approved of for the role of The Empire Man in a commercial scheduled to be shot. Instead, then company owner Seymour Cohen asked Hauldren to play the role of The Empire Man himself. The Empire Man character appeared in practically every commercial for the company from 1977 to 2011, and the company also issued a limited edition bobble-head doll of the character. By the 2000s, Empire switched from live-action commercials to CGIComputer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
, with Hauldren continuing to provide voice-overs. A sampling of Lynn's famous commercials can be found on the Empire Carpet video site and other facts about the Empire Man character can be found at Empire Carpet Man website.
Hauldren also wrote the tune used to accompany the singing of the company's phone number, and recorded the jingle
Jingle
A jingle is a short tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. The jingle contains one or more hooks and lyrics that explicitly promote the product being advertised, usually through the use of one or more advertising slogans. Ad buyers use jingles in radio and television...
with an a cappella group, The Fabulous 40s. The famous Empire Today advertising jingle (eight hundred, five-eight-eight, two, three-hundred Empire Today!) has made the Empire Today phone number one of the most recognized numbers in the country.
Hauldren recorded several albums with the barbershop quartet Chordiac Arrest including Live and Well and Second Opinion. The group also released a live performance video entitled Chordiac Arrest! The Video. In 2007 Hauldren formed a new vocal quartet called Chordplay that has appeared on television. In 2005, Hauldren appeared in a comedic short video for the stage show, Big Time Tonight, written by comedian Landon Kirksey. The video features Kirksey's character entering a bar and receiving sage-like advice from Hauldren himself. He was known to say of himself "I don't own the company, I can't install carpet, and I'm not an actor." When asked for autographs, he'd reply "I'm not an actor or a celebrity. I'm a pitchman; a glorified salesman."
Hauldren died in his Evanston, Illinois
Evanston, Illinois
Evanston is a suburban municipality in Cook County, Illinois 12 miles north of downtown Chicago, bordering Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, and Wilmette to the north, with an estimated population of 74,360 as of 2003. It is one of the North Shore communities that adjoin Lake Michigan...
home on April 26, 2011, aged 89. His family stated that he died from "natural causes". Following his death, Empire Today launched a tribute to Hauldren and The Empire Man. The tribute indicated that he will, "always have a special place in the hearts of many."