Jack Shoptaw is Back in Business
Last summer, my predecessor Ruth Samuelson reported on the fall of an elite Georgetown ad agency and its "flamboyant" owner, Jack Shoptaw. Hammer Communications fell on hard times like a lot of businesses tied to the real estate industry–the agency repped builders like Toll Brothers and Brookfield Homes–but threw boozy parties right up until starting to lay off his employees, leaving salaries unpaid and going deep into debt. Creditors later filed a petition to liquidate the company through an involuntary Chapter 7 bankruptcy proceeding.
Earlier this month, Shoptaw reinvented himself as a real estate agent, forming a sales team with Sotheby's. And he's already scored some free publicity, with a townhouse condo in Georgetown that will be featured on HGTV's real estate reality show "My First Sale." (Though with the amount of time HGTV spent finding candidates for the show, it can't have been that difficult to land a spot).
He's still running the new incarnation of his ad agency, Shoptaw Design. But prudently, he appears to have wiped all mention of Hammer Communications from his online presence. Here's hoping buyers beware.
1:05 pm
Wow. It is pretty funny that a former ad exec and current Sotheby's agent does not even use proper English for his ads. Check out the HomeVisit link: "HGTV has chose.." Maybe he should consider hiring an editor.
4:45 pm
LOL LOL LOL
OMG I can't wait to watch this SH*T SHOW again... He's like the HERP ... I LOVE IT!
10:42 am
The Shoptaw Design website still showcases people who left the company well over a year ago, but it's still up. Unclear if they're still in business.
11:52 am
As someone who was privy to the home life of Jack Shoptaw and his family, I feel sorry for his co-workers and clients alike.
3:34 pm
Anyone associated with Jack gets what they deserve.
And as for proper English being used in his ads, Jack used to have someone who barely knew English running the creative department.
8:56 pm
It is amazing to me that Jack Shoptaw is still in business with all the people he owes money. It just blows me away that you can screw so many people and then just keep doing business like nothing happened.