Awards
“I Remember This One Time with Rick Boyko...”
Get to know our Creative Hall of Fame laureates with stories from their family, friends, and colleagues
The Creative Hall of Fame has a rich history dating back 60 years that has honored more than 225 men and women in advertising, design, branding, illustration, photography, typography, and education. And this September 5, we will be adding nine more incredible individuals to that list, alongside recognizing the Type Directors Club’s TDC Medalist. You’ll want to grab your tickets and tables today!
In celebrating these nine inductees, we wanted to move away from simply posting their work and many accomplishments, and instead get the inside scoop from their family, friends, and colleagues. We gave them each the prompt “I remember this one time when...” and encouraged them to share stories from the laureates’ pasts. They could be funny, poignant, a little bit embarrassing — or even all three!
After sharing heartfelt stories about Bob Barrie, Steve Sandstrom, Bob Isherwood, and Deborah Morrison, it is now time to admire all that Rick Boyko has done in his life so far. And it is a lot. Rick is very well known for his implementation of VCU’s Brandcenter, being the former CCO of Oglivy & Mather, New York, and of course a proud and inspirational father to his three daughters, Jessie, Mary, and Katie Boyko.
These beautiful stories capture the loving impact Rick has had on all the people he has crossed paths with during his life.
BRIAN COLLINS
Co-Founder, COLLINS
I remember this one time.
On the first Saturday afternoon right after 9/11.
Rick Boyko — my then-boss and Chief Creative Officer and Co-President at Ogilvy & Mather — called me.
He had been, like thousands of others, walking around the neighborhoods of New York with his family, discovering all of the heartbreaking tributes and memorials being constructed at every fire station and every park across the city.
He called me with a big idea: a massive project, a giant book that would seek to document all of those remarkable, spontaneous, heartfelt hand-made constructions.
He also wanted to honor all of the firefighters who had worked heroically to save as many people as they could on that day — especially those firefighters who had perished.
“Think we can do it? We have to…” Rick said.
“Yes,” was my only answer.
Working with Rick in the lead, Cindy Rivet, Gloria Hall, Bob Zeltman, as well as members of my own team (and scores of other remarkable people at Ogilvy) all toiled day and night over the next few weeks with hundreds of the city's finest professional photographers to capture all that they could.
We invited Frank McCourt to write the introduction. My friend, the gifted writer Tony Hendra, joined in.
Miraculously, and with publishing support from American Express; “Brotherhood,” a coffee table book, went on sale December 7, 2001.
Incredibly, it became an instant New York Times best seller. It raised over $2.5 million that went directly to the families of the fallen.
“Incredibly, it became an instant New York Times best seller. It raised over $2.5 million that went directly to the families of the fallen.”
The book’s success immediately inspired a celebrated exhibit at the New York Historical Society Museum. Soon after, it became a documentary “Brotherhood, Life in the FDNY,” produced by Radicalmedia.
Rick drove it all. He kept the vision focused and big. Importantly, not one image of destruction was included.
The book crystallized the best quote I have ever heard about courage. Atticus Finch defines it in Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird.
“I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what.”
To this day, I believe the book Brotherhood remains one of the finest, most potent documents of the soul of New York City and the best of its people and its heroic firefighters on that day.
My team and I were beyond honored to be led by Rick Boyko to create it.
Best of all? In light of the book’s impact, Rick was made an Honorary FDNY Deputy Fire Chief.
From President & Chief Creative Officer to fireman?
That’s the best career trajectory I’ve ever seen.
Ashley Sommardahl
Associate Director, VCU Brandcenter
Most of you reading this likely know Rick Boyko for his extraordinary contributions to the advertising industry as a creative powerhouse. But, I want to acknowledge and thank him for the incredible impact he has made on advertising education during his 15-year tenure at the Virginia Commonwealth University Brandcenter as Executive Director and Board Member.
Under Rick’s leadership, Brandcenter flourished as the school added new concentrations, doubled the number of students, and continually updated and evolved the curriculum to keep up with an industry changing at warp speed. And while his leadership was profound, his ambitious vision for what the school (and our students) had the potential to become was nothing short of transformative.
Rick’s vision that our students shouldn’t be limited to one industry led to the decision to change the school’s name from “Adcenter” to “Brandcenter.” From the beginning, Rick believed our students had the potential to become the future leaders of not only ad agencies but also global brands, brand and innovation consultancies, and start-ups.
“From the beginning, Rick believed our students had the potential to become the future leaders of not only ad agencies but also global brands, brand and innovation consultancies, and start-ups.”
Rick had the vision to move the Brandcenter program into VCU’s School of Business knowing that a graduate business degree would be a competitive advantage to our alums when they moved into management and leadership positions later in their careers.
Rick had the vision to see that a crumbling, vacant, old building full of bats and birds in downtown Richmond, Virgina had the potential to become a beautiful, state-of-the-art new home for the Brandcenter– a space that rivals some of the most impressive workspaces in our industry.
While all of those things are impressive and important, I also want to acknowledge and thank Rick for a few other things you likely won’t read in his bio.
Thank you for teaching us equally important lessons for work and life: “It’s easier to beg forgiveness than ask permission.” and “Learn to embrace and be comfortable with change. When change is the hardest, it’s the most necessary for progress and growth.”
Thank you for the countless weekly dinners you (and Barb!) hosted for Brandcenter students so they could experience a “family dinner” away from home.
Thank you for single-handedly raising the funding for our building and leading the charge to name it after another advertising legend, Mike Hughes, before he passed away.
Thank you (and your family) for establishing a generous endowed scholarship that continues to give current and future students the opportunity to attend the Brandcenter.
Fifteen years ago, Rick’s vision was to establish the Brandcenter as “the Harvard of Advertising” and to fuel the world of advertising and branding with its future leaders. Today, that vision is most definitely a reality as seen through the work and impact of our 2,500+ alums. Congratulations, Rick, on this well-deserved honor!
Carol H. Williams
Owner, Carol H. Williams Advertising
Creative Hall of Fame 2022 Inductee
It is with enormous enthusiasm that I support and endorse Rick Boyko’s 2024 Induction into the Creative Hall of Fame.
Rick’s career has been absolutely incredible. From his days at Leo Burnett, Chiat/Day, Ogilvy & Mather, no matter where his footsteps took him, he soared. He has been and always will be Top Gun.
I’ll always remember sitting with Rick and sharing our stories. He smiled at me as we shared time and people together. I asked him what he found so amusing. He said, “You're not amusing but amazing.” Rick was not only brilliant in his creativity but in his empathy towards people. I wished I could have teamed with him at some point in his journey.
Rick’s story is truly a remarkable one. He showcased his talent at all the biggest and the best while rising to an inspirational and outstanding creative, producing award-winning advertising campaigns wherever he moved, including Mitsubishi Electric, Pizza Hut, Home Savings, Foster Farms, and Nike. His incredible spirit and high standards have been an inspiration to all of us creatives who strive for excellence.
Rick’s unselfish devotion to this business is what helped develop VCU’s Brandcenter while serving as the Managing Director and Co-Chair of the VCU Brandcenter from 2003 until his retirement in 2012. Under his leadership, the VCU Brandcenter gained national recognition for its innovative approach to advertising education and its ability to produce industry-ready graduates. His input on the industry has left many of us in awe.
“Under his leadership, the VCU Brandcenter gained national recognition for its innovative approach to advertising education and its ability to produce industry-ready graduates.”
The scope of Rick’s endeavors, from awards to supporting and documenting the inspirational series chronicling those that inspired many creative icons to enter this business, is impressive. I was honored to be a part of that experience and have the opportunity to inspire others to choose our industry as their career.
Rick is wonderfully engaging, genuine, and authentic in his love of the business and people who seek creativity. We need more leaders, more people like Rick Boyko. He absolutely has earned and more than deserves his seat in the Creative Hall of Fame.
Jimmy Smith
CHAIRMAN, CEO, AND CCO, AMUSEMENT PARK ENTERTAINMENT
For at least 20 years, Rick Boyko has been my Flavor Flav… in other words, my hype man. My first time at Cannes, he had me speak in his class. When he headed up the VCU Brandcenter, he put me on the board. He requested and directed the mini-documentary about me for the ANDYs’ Inspiration series. The dude’s always been in my corner hyping me up. So, it’s only fitting that I don Flavor Flav’s clock and return the favor for the man who I’d admired long before we met!
Rick doesn’t get much credit for The One Club’s Where Are All The Black People, even though I’ve told the story over and over and over again. He is just as responsible for WAATBP as Jeff Goodby and me.
Rick orchestrated the first initiative that I was ever invited to with the sole agenda of figuring out how to get more Blacks into advertising. He invited leaders of brands, like Pam El (former VP of Marketing and Advertising at State Farm), plus, heads of agencies, including Mike Hughes of The Martin Agency (R.I.P.). It was here that Mike said, “Jimmy, I’d hire more Black people if I could find them!” Jeff Goodby was inspired by one of his copywriters, Ed Crayton. I was inspired by Rick. And soon afterward, history was made: WAATBP was born. I don’t know what the exact number is, but many talented Black folks got their start in the ad game, in no small part, because of “Slick” Rick Boyko’s efforts. He was their hype man, too.
“I don’t know what the exact number is, but many talented Black folks got their start in the ad game, in no small part, because of “Slick” Rick Boyko’s efforts.”
Madhu Malhan
Creative Consultant
Wild Elephants Can’t Stop Him
Rick interviewed me for a job at Ogilvy in 2001. I’d known him for many years. He’d been on the ANDY jury several times when I ran that show, even chaired it in the late 90s. So, when I received feedback like “You’re going to work for Sergeant Boyko? He makes people cry!” I wasn’t fazed. I knew the no B.S., no filter, just-get-it-done, beg forgiveness later persona well. During the interview, he mused that he’d like to visit India with his wife Barb someday, and said he wanted me to take them there when they did. Sure, I said.
Fast forward to 2014, long after we’ve both left Ogilvy, Rick calls. “I want to go to India this winter. Plan the trip.” I hadn’t lived in India for more than 30 years. I’m no travel agent. And I’m skeptical about sharing India with non-Indians because my motherland has a polarizing effect on people. But when Rick asks you to do something, you do it.
“Fast forward to 2014, long after we’ve both left Ogilvy, Rick calls. “I want to go to India this winter. Plan the trip.””
Three months later, Rick, Barb, Katie (their youngest daughter), and I are in India. We hit the usual tourist spots - Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, and Udaipur. Indian tourists want selfies with Barb and Katie, the exotic redhead and blonde, while Rick and I look on. We end our trip on the banks of the holy river Ganga for some peace and quiet, where my mother and son join us.
Knowing how much Rick loves The Beatles, I plan a visit to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s ashram overlooking the Ganga in Rishikesh. The Beatles studied Transcendental Meditation and wrote most of the White Album there in 1968. Now abandoned, the ashram is a shrine to The Beatles, covered in graffiti and murals by fans from across the universe. I know Rick will love it.
On the way, we’re stopped and told not to go any further. A mad, wild elephant is roaming the jungle. He has fought with another elephant and killed an 11-year-old girl. Sergeant Boyko is undeterred. We’re not turning back. We walk slowly, quietly, through the jungle for 15 minutes till we get to the gate. The ashram is enclosed by a 12-foot wall, and there is no sign of the mad elephant. We breathe a sigh of relief.
Once inside, we turn the first corner and behold! A giant pile of dung that could only belong to an elephant. Rick soldiers on, so we follow. At every step, we survey our surroundings, scoping out the best places to take cover. Meditation caves made of river rocks and cement are the preferred hideouts. Not even a 12,000 lb. beast can penetrate those, we think. “Dear Prudence” (Prudence Farrow) spent many an hour in them, seeking nirvana. Maybe we’ll achieve salvation in the process.
After an enjoyable but tense hour inside the walls of the ashram, we are ready to leave. As we head out the guard asks where we are from. “Oh! New York City! That is a VERY, VERY dangerous place. They killed John Lennon over there!” Yeah, but it wasn’t a wild elephant that did it.
India is an assault on the senses but to my delight, Rick overlooks the dirt and poverty to focus on the beauty. He soaks up every sight, sound, and smell. He overtips everyone, “I don’t care if $100 is too much in Rupees, he deserves it!” He relishes telling waiters, “Extra spicy for the three of us, and mild for the Indian.”
Above all, I realize despite his relentless work ethic and wildly successful career, Sergeant Boyko is a devoted family man first. He’s branded his family with coordinated tattoos for cryin’ out loud! During our trip, the biggest smiles came when he Facetimed his grandson back home. His kindness towards my mother overwhelmed me. And several months later, he surprised me with the most generous gift of all, a portrait of my mum.
Thank you, Rick, for your friendship. Congrats on this honor. You’ve been in my Hall of Fame for over 30 years, and I love you.
Robert Wong
VP, Google Creatvie Lab
I remember first meeting Rick in 2008 when he invited me to talk to his graduate students at the VCU Brandcenter. I was blown away by the groundbreaking program he built and the quality of the graduates it produced — many of them directly impacting the trajectory of my life and Google Creative Lab.
One VCU graduate created Google’s first TV ad, the famed “Parisian Love.”
One VCU graduate literally rewrote history with the Dalai Lama on Desmond Tutu’s 80th birthday.
One VCU graduate started an agency just six years ago and it has become a vital creative partner to Google, one of the biggest marketers in the world.
One VCU graduate has been my ride-or-die creative partner for over a decade. Together we changed the Google logo, redesigned all of Google’s products, created feature documentaries that premiered at Sundance, made Time magazine’s top Super Bowl ads two years in a row, and made many people cry in the process.
So on a personal level, I am eternally grateful for Rick’s foresight and vision to birth Brandcenter. Its impact and influence have and will continue to shape the creative industry for decades to come.
In the 15 years I’ve known Rick, I’m most impressed with his undying passion for innovation and driving the creative industry forward. It starts with his celebrated body of work as Chief Creative Officer of Ogilvy, but it goes way beyond that. He is a true industry innovator. He put design at the center of one of the oldest agencies in the world. He invented Brandcenter. He invented a film series to document the creative legends of our industry so that generations of creatives will be better off for it.
“He is a true industry innovator. He put design at the center of one of the oldest agencies in the world. He invented Brandcenter. He invented a film series to document the creative legends of our industry so that generations of creatives will be better off for it.”
There are few people I know in the industry who have obsessively served the greater good and have had as much of a measurable, positive, and lasting impact on the next generation of creative leaders as Rick. Love you man. Congratulations on being inducted into the Creative Hall of Fame. So well deserved!
Susan Credle
Global Chair and IPG Creative Advisor, FCB
My favorite Rick story — one he has heard me tell repeatedly — happened in Cannes. I’m not sure of the year, but it was my first time at the festival. I flew in early for a Yahoo private dinner Sunday night at a villa in Super Cannes. I had a small room at The Carlton that felt more like a closet.
Claustrophobia and jet lag accelerated the thoughts in my head as I looked at the guest list for the evening: Sir John Hegarty, Keith Reinhard, Mitch Kanner, Steve Hayden, Matt Eastwood, and Rick Boyko. Everyone on the list was famous. Everyone on the list was a founder or a C-suiter. Everyone but me, that is.
I shouldn’t be here, I thought. Panic set in. It was wonderful that Jerry Shereshewsky, the Ambassador Plenipotentiary to Madison Avenue at Yahoo, had seen something in me and felt I could hold my own with this crowd. Looking into the three-paneled mirror on the dresser, I didn’t see whatever he had seen. Just a petrified young girl who wanted to throw up.
I had a conversation with that person in the mirror. Out loud if I recall correctly. “Just say you were exhausted! The jet lag caught up with you. Is this what jet lag feels like?”
No, this is what being a chickenshit feels like.
“That’s right! You are a little trembling chicken. Fly all the way over to France specifically for this party and you are going to hide in this poor excuse for a room? Pathetic. Buck up. Get dressed. You are going to have to leave this room eventually. It might as well be right now.”
I won. I convinced that doubter in the mirror to go down the red-carpeted stairs of the Carlton and face the evening.
As I walked down those stairs, I saw Rick Boyko. Like I said, the guest list was full of famous people. I knew who he was, of course. Everyone did. He had no idea who I was because, in this world, I was a nobody. Every shy, introverted bone in my body wanted to reverse the course I was on except for a small space in my sternum, from that place in my body, the words pushed out of my mouth. “Excuse me, Rick. You don’t know me, but I believe we are headed to the same Yahoo dinner, and I need a friend real fast.”
He seemed surprised and welcoming at the same time. A moment later, his wife, Barbara, grabbed my arm and pulled me forward, proclaiming I was with them. Nerves were replaced by adrenaline. It was the beginning of a high that lasted throughout the night, throughout the week, throughout my entire career.
Rick has continued to be a part of my life in meaningful ways. He has seen me as I do not see myself. He has invited me to proverbial parties that I never imagined I would attend, from being on the VCU Brandcenter Board to being included in his Advertising Club of New York’s Inspirations Series. But I will never underestimate that evening in Cannes when he made me feel included and taught me a lifelong lesson: the gentlest of gestures can have a significant impact on another human being.
“But I will never underestimate that evening in Cannes when he made me feel included and taught me a lifelong lesson: the gentlest of gestures can have a significant impact on another human being.”
Jessie, Mary, & Katie Boyko
Rick’s Daughters
Jessie Paulson
Artist/Teaching Artist, “The Favorite Daughter”
I remember this one time when I was on a shoot with my dad in New York City at the Palace Theater. My sister Katie and I were supposed to be in a shot together, leaning over the balcony, demonstrating the expressions on two girls’ faces that have the chance to see Disney’s animated Beauty and the Beast come to life on Broadway for the very first time — a wonder that could all be yours with an American Express card!
Katie made the shot in Roy Disney’s commercial. I made the cutting-room floor.
This is when I realized the world our father created was magical, a story told within 60 seconds. It was his art, one that he loved, and one he unquestionably mastered.
I adore my father. I am without a doubt his biggest fan. I waited for him to come home following every work trip with a freshly made WELCOME HOME banner.
He did not inspire anyone more than me, he has taught his entire family to see, create, travel, listen to the music, and most importantly, to follow your passion.
“He did not inspire anyone more than me, he has taught his entire family to see, create, travel, listen to the music, and most importantly, to follow your passion.”
He created a world for all to be inspired and encouraged all to share their stories. But it is the story that he continues to make and give to his family that we are all so lucky to experience.
Mary Skinner
Creative Graphic Designer, Mary Skinner Designs, “Rick Boyko’s Daughter”
Rick Boyko, The Man, The Myth, The Legend… and my Dad.
Growing up with a parent famous in Advertising is a unique experience. It’s even more unique trying to follow in those footsteps.
From a young age, I witnessed firsthand how my father’s innovative ideas and strategic vision transformed concepts into compelling campaigns. I spent my childhood sitting in on shoots, hovering outside his office during presentations, or was a silent car companion while he conducted phone conferences. I saw his passion for his craft, his love for the people, and above all, his dedication to the work.
He instilled in me a love for the arts, storytelling, and a deep belief in the power of ideas. With this foundation, it was natural that I would find myself in advertising.
As I navigated my own path in the industry, I was initially known as Rick Boyko’s daughter. While I was immensely proud of this association, it was also a title that was hard to shake. I remember this one time after many years in the business when my Dad called me. He had been at an industry event where some of my colleagues approached him and asked, “Hey, you’re Mary’s Dad, right?” He told me he couldn’t help but laugh, pondering when he had transitioned from being Rick Boyko to simply “Mary’s Dad.” Though a modest title compared to his influential role in the industry, it’s the one I cherish most. You may recognize Rick Boyko as an AdMan, but first and foremost, he’s a Family Man.
I believe his success stems from his mentorship approach — inspiring others, nurturing creativity, encouraging unconventional thinking, and, most importantly, fostering self-belief. These are all qualities of a great parent, and advertising has been lucky to have had one in him.
“His success stems from his mentorship approach — inspiring others, nurturing creativity, encouraging unconventional thinking, and, most importantly, fostering self-belief.”
Katie Boyko
Executive Producer, “Mini Rick”
I am incredibly lucky to have had Rick Boyko not only as a mentor but also as my Father. And having watched him my whole life, I can tell you that he cared deeply about the integrity of the work, but he also cared deeply about the people and the industry as a whole.
My high school was located just one block away from the Ogilvy offices, so I would often stop in after school to say hello. I remember this one time, I could hear my father’s laugh echoing down the hall, and to my teenage horror, I saw that he was riding a Razor scooter. And even worse, another Ogilvy employee told me this was something he did as a part of his daily creative rounds. While my 16-year-old self cringed, my 40-year-old self today looks back and remembers my father as the CCO who went out to his teams. He knew that if he supported his people, it was the best way to support the work and their clients.
“While my 16-year-old self cringed, my 40-year-old self today looks back and remembers my father as the CCO who went out to his teams.”
Having worked in advertising myself for nearly a decade I can tell you it is not very often the C-Suite goes on rounds to check on their teams, or even knows all of their names. He believed in mentorship and education — proven by his next step in life in going off to help shape what was to become The VCU Brandcenter. He wanted to make the advertising industry better by creating the next great generation of creative thinkers.
I am lucky. I got that mentorship every day of my life and continue to get it to this day. But I will also always remember that my father was the man who got on a Razor scooter and chased the ideas with his colleagues.
 11_21_50 a_m_ - Camila Ordoñez Bozzi.png)
