04/30/2026
We’re going to break our own rules about post copy here. This is going to take some words.
Brian Eickhoff, who founded TXC in 1985, passed away unexpectedly on Sunday evening.
Brian’s talent, temperament, and heart shaped much of what TXC is today. From our agency’s infancy to his retirement in 2022, his standards for excellence are at the core of how we operate and support each other as a team. In his words, “My goal every day is to take care of our employees so they can take care of our clients.”
He was a designer by trade and naturally humble, gladly delegating work to the best people he could find — many of whom still fill critical roles on our org chart today. He expected greatness and required that we all operate with the kind of honesty and care that every client and every project deserved. Brian just knew how to lead.
If you ever received an old-fashioned check or pay stub from TXC, you couldn’t open the envelope without being reminded BROUGHT TO YOU BY OUR CLIENTS, which was always stamped on the outside. It was one of many reminders he’d always share to keep things in perspective. “Keep the small things small and the big things big” lives on around here.
He wanted work to be fun, and he made it that way. Working in our office on North Park Drive, there was a good chance you’d hear a semi-truck drive by the building and honk. Brian, immediately: “Excuse me.” He surprised us all with his humor, but he also leaned on some classics.
He forgave mistakes and looked for value in them. And he rewarded hard work. When Beer:30 hit on Fridays, he’d push his modified rolling-file-cart-cooler through the halls with a selection of hand-picked Coors Light and maybe a Shiner for the picky ones of the bunch.
Among his impressive awards stash is the Silver Medal Award in 2014 from the American Advertising Federation of San Antonio. He was recognized for his “outstanding contributions to advertising and furthering the industry’s standards, creative excellence, and responsibility in areas of social concern.” He truly was honored, but also not one to make a fuss (or a speech) about it. “Can they just put it in a box and ship it to me?”
It’s even more of a testament to his way of operating that everyone on our team today who didn’t know him works in a way that would undoubtedly give him a lot of pride. He and his wife Jamie, who served as our COO for more than two decades, planted seeds of culture in this agency that continue to bloom.
There would be no Texas Creative without Brian, but his biggest accomplishment (by a landslide) is his family. We invite you to read more about that story and ways to celebrate his life here: https://www.tributearchive.com/obituaries/48246645/brian-frey-eickhoff
Brian would often end company emails like this, so to honor that:
Onward, ever onward.
