Dick Costello - Chairman

Born and raised in Wilmette, Illinois, Dick jumped into the ad game at 23 as a copywriter for DDB Needham Advertising Agency. Hired to write Dealer signs and ads for Massey-Ferguson farm implements, he wrote his very first regional campaign with tabloid-sized ads featuring one large bold copy paragraph. He sold it by proclaiming: “Just because farmers read long copy ads doesn’t mean they skip the short ones”. The campaign won awards for the client … and a promotion for Dick to Copy Supervisor.

Meanwhile to learn more about motivating people and the ad biz, he went to night school at DePaul U. to earn a Masters degree in Psychology to go along with his degrees in Philosophy and Theology. He also read everything he could find on advertising and marketing.

His first TV breakthrough came when he wrote and produced a national multi-media campaign for the National Safety Council: “Watch Out for the Other Guy”. It promoted defensive driving and he used his psychology degree to write and sell it. The campaign won several national awards.

For C-I-L Paints in Canada he leaned on the psychology of color in writing a very successful commercial that began “Every woman is a world of color…” showing how a woman reflects various colorful moods. It ended with… “And color is our world too!”

At 27 he was hired by Leo Burnett to write commercials for Kelloggs. He also created TV spots for Swanson frozen dinners and the Harris Bank. He originated and produced award-winning TV and print ads for Pure Oil featuring NASCAR racing and drivers like Richard Petty, Donnie Allison, etc. And he originated the “Murph’s 76 Station” gasoline campaign which endured for many years.

Another major accomplishment at Burnett was writing the creative strategy and initial scripts for the famous “Nestea Plunge” commercials which became an even longer-lasting TV campaign.

In 1970 Dick founded The Creative Works, Inc. a Chicago-based corporate communications company. His idea was to make his creative and production talents available to small agencies, in-house agencies, marketing companies and corporations who had an appetite for highly creative work but lacked the budgets for mega-agency overheads.

As the Creative Director and principle writer at The Creative Works, Inc. Dick has developed a failsafe methodology that assures a successful client communication in all print, broadcast and electronic media.

Clients have included business-to-business and consumer projects for companies like Quaker Oats, Jim Beam, Jewel Foods, Sears, McDonalds, Levy Restaurants and several major home furnishings manufacturers.

At i Video Productiosn Dick oversees the development of branding strategies, scriptwriting, casting talent, and editing. And for over 20 years he has been directing their TV spots, corporate films and videos with great sensitivity and an eye for exciting graphics. His work with children, humor and dialogue is outstanding. And he is especially adept at getting professional performances from such “amateur” actors as CEOs, corporate personnel and sports celebrities.

As an author, a teacher, an outstanding Director, and a wise counselor, Dick personifies the concept of “hands-on”. This work ethic, combined with his degrees in Philosophy, Theology and Psychology, gives Dick Costello a complete set of skills to excel in the fine art of communication.