Celebrating 50 Years of Innovation: Tic Toc's Remarkable Journey

What began in the summer of 1974 as a fraternity and sorority t-shirt company has evolved into a force in the marketing industry. Tic Toc, which is an acronym for "The Imagination Company, Tomorrow’s Original Concepts," is a disability-owned business enterprise (DOBE) founded by best friends, Bill Dunlap and Ted Case. Divested from Omnicom in 1995, the company later achieved independence in 2010 through a management buyout spearheaded by Paul Gittemeier. This year, Tic Toc is jubilantly celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

Over the decades, Tic Toc has significantly expanded its service platform from its original t-shirt offerings. It now includes employee reward and recognition programs, wellness initiatives, incentive and loyalty programs, and the design, production, and distribution of custom-branded merchandise and apparel. Additionally, the company offers consumer engagement initiatives such as event marketing, games, contests, and sweepstakes.

Throughout its history, Tic Toc has partnered with some of the most renowned brands in the market. These include Shell USA, Inc., Top Golf, 7-Eleven, GameStop, Humana, Kohl’s, Subway, Omni Hotels, Denny’s, LG, Frito-Lay, Nestle, Jiffy Lube, PepsiCo, Samsung, Planet Hollywood, Whataburger, Slurpee, Google, CVS, KPMG, Merck, and Wal-Mart. Since 2007, Shell USA has referred its subsidiaries to Tic Toc for managing their rewards management programs.