The King of Madison Avenue: David Ogilvy and the Making of Modern Advertising »

Kenneth Roman worked directly with David Ogilvy at Ogilvy & Mather for 26 years, beginning as an account executive and rising up to eventually become Chairman and CEO. He is the co-author of several books, including the bestselling business classics How to Advertise and Writing that Works, both of which are in their third editions. He lives in New York City.

Famous for his colorful personality and formidable intellect, David Ogilvy left an indelible mark on the advertising world, transforming it from a disreputable business into a dynamic industry full of passionate, creative individuals. This biography is based on a wealth of material from the author’s decades of working alongside the advertising giant, including a large collection of photos, memos, recordings, notes, and extensive archives of Ogilvy’s personal papers.

This biography is based on a wealth of material from decades of working alongside the advertising giant, including a large collection of photos, memos, recordings, notes, and extensive archives of Ogilvy’s personal papers. The book describes the creation of some of history's most famous advertising campaigns, such as:

* "The man in the Hathaway shirt" with his aristocratic eye patch

* "The man from Schweppes is here" with Commander Whitehead, the elegant bearded Brit, introducing tonic water (and “Schweppervesence”) to the U.S.

* Perhaps the most famous automobile headline of all time—“At 60 miles an hour the loudest noise in this new Rolls-Royce comes from the electric clock.”

* “Pablo Casals is coming home—to Puerto Rico.” Ogilvy said this campaign, which helped change the image of a country, was his proudest achievement.

* And his greatest (if less recognized) sales success—“DOVE creams your skin while you wash.”

Fifty years later, still on his original proposition that it doesn’t dry your skin, Dove has become the largest selling cleansing brand in the world.

Roman also carries Ogilvy's message into the present day, showing the contemporary relevance of the bottom-line focus for which his business ventures are remembered, and how this approach is still key for professionals in the modern advertising world.

The Barnes & Noble Review

Kenneth Roman, author of the first biography of advertising pioneer David Ogilvy, joined the firm Ogilvy & Mather in the early 1960s, around the same time in which the acclaimed television series Mad Men is set. But if you've been hooked by the goings-on at the fictional advertising agency Sterling Cooper, be warned: The King of Madison Avenue doesn't ooze the same seductive glamour as the AMC series. (Here's Roman on sex: "Whatever Ogilvy did outside his three marriages was discreet." Subject closed.) In his only mention of the show, the author, who eventually became Ogilvy's third successor as chairman of the agency, calls it "overblown."