If you live in Chicago, you know the Smithe Brothers. Well, maybe you don't know them, but you are certainly familiar with them. Walter III, Tim, and Mark have been appearing in t.v. ads for their family's furniture store chain for nearly a decade. The ads are creative, hilarious, and slickly produced.

The Smithes, who are profiled in my latest "All in the Family" story, follow a long tradition of families who have attached their faces to their businesses. There's Dave Thomas of Wendy's, Frank & Jim Purdue of Purdue Chicken, and let's not forget Col. Harlan Sanders of KFC. So, is this sort of thing a good idea for every family-owned firm? Yes and no.

Ira Bryck heads the Family Business Center at UMass/Amherst. Bryck says first and foremost, the face has to match the business. He says the pitch person needs to be credible with the public. Also, if your aim is to do funny ads, make sure you're funny.

Bryck also says there are dangers in tying the owner too closely to the business. What happens when that person retires, dies, or gets the boot from the board? Wendy's was confronted with this situation several years ago when founder Dave Thomas died. Businesses who use the owner in advertising need to have an advertising succession plan, along with a leadership succession plan.

Finally, Bryck recommends getting advice from an advertising agency and maybe even a professional acting coach before the cameras start rolling. That may be costly, but then again so are lost sales from obnoxious or poorly produced ads.