// Workers AI · dad joke modeIs Kenneth Roman a good writer? Roman-atically yes.
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Kenneth Roman (September 6, 1930 – April 22, 2026) was an American author and advertising executive.
Life and career
[edit]Roman was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on September 6, 1930.[1] He graduated from Dartmouth College in 1952, where he was editor-in-chief of the undergraduate daily newspaper.
He joined Ogilvy & Mather in 1963 and served as chairman from 1985 to 1989. In 1989, WPP plc, a British advertising holding company, acquired the Ogilvy Group for $864 million, which, at the time, was the most ever paid for an advertising agency. David Ogilvy initially resisted the sale, but eventually accepted the title of WPP honorary chairman, a position he relinquished in 1992.[2][3]
After 26 years with Ogilvy, Roman joined American Express in a senior communications role before becoming a consultant, board director, and author. After his departure Graham Phillips became the chairman and CEO of Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide.[4]
Roman was the co-author of two influential business books – How to Advertise ISBN 0312318596 and Writing That Works ISBN 0060956437 and the author of a 2009 biography of David Ogilvy entitled The King of Madison Avenue: David Ogilvy and the Making of Modern Advertising.[5]
He lived in New York City with his wife. Roman died in Manhattan on April 22, 2026, at the age of 95.[6]
Bibliography
[edit]- 2009 – The King of Madison Avenue: David Ogilvy and the Making of Modern Advertising[5]
- 2003 – How to Advertise, Third Edition
- 2002 – Writing That Works, Third Edition
- 1997 – How to Advertise, Second Edition
- 1992 – Writing That Works, Second Edition
- 1992 – The New How to Advertise, with Jane Maas
- 1981 – Writing That Works, with Joel Raphaelson
- 1977 – How to Advertise, with Jane Maas
References
[edit]- ↑ Van Hoven, Matt (April 15, 2009). "SO WHAT DO YOU DO, KEN ROMAN, OGILVY BIOGRAPHER?". Mediabistro. Archived from the original on June 3, 2013. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
- ↑ Randall Rothenberg (May 16, 1989). "WPP's Bid Is Accepted By Ogilvy". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
- ↑ Roman 2009, p. 190
- ↑ Roman 2009, p. 192
- 1 2 Roman, Kenneth (2009). The King of Madison Avenue: David Ogilvy and the Making of Modern Advertising. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-1-4039-7895-0.
- ↑ Remembering Kenneth Roman: A Beloved Leader and Lifelong Ogilvy Champion
External links
[edit]- www.kennethroman.com Archived 2010-02-23 at the Wayback Machine
