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

The King of Madison Avenue: David Ogilvy and the Making of Modern Advertising (Hardcover)

by Kenneth Roman (Author)
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
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Amazon.co.uk exclusive interview with Kenneth Roman, author of The King of Madison Avenue [PDF]
  • Hardcover: 304 pages
  • Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan (23 Jan 2009)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 1403978956
  • ISBN-13: 978-1403978950
  • Product Dimensions: 23.6 x 16.5 x 2.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 16,882 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories:

    #13 in  Books > Business, Finance & Law > Biographies & Histories > Company Histories
    #19 in  Books > Business, Finance & Law > Sales & Marketing > Advertising
    #21 in  Books > Biography > Biographies & Memoirs
  • See Complete Table of Contents

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Review

'Roman has written a fine book on his former boss. He has a gem of a subject and, as well as a fund of anecdotes, he provides a clear-eyed, unsentimental portrait of a brilliant tyrant' --John Gapper, Financial Times

'Kenneth Roman offers an entertaining and admiring portrait of the legendary figure' --BusinessWeek, Rating: 4 stars

'Lively writing and an affectionate yet honest tone make this an astonishingly charming and informative biography' --Publishers Weekly


Review






'The book is affectionate but balanced, erudite but immensely readable, surprising, witty... and as remarkable as its subject.' - David Abbott, Former Chairman, Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO
 
'Ken Roman worked with Ogilvy for 26 years. It's his considerable accomplishment to have written a meticulously researched and lucid account of this clever, charismatic and complicated man that is nowhere judgmental. He allows his subject to emerge from his own history.' - Jeremy Bullmore, Management Today

'Roman has written a fine book on his former boss. He has a gem of a subject and, as well as a fund of anecdotes, he provides a clear-eyed, unsentimental portrait of a brilliant tyrant.' - John Gapper, Financial Times
 
'Kenneth Roman offers an entertaining and admiring portrait of the legendary figure' - BusinessWeek, Rating: 4 stars

'Lively writing and an affectionate yet honest tone make this an astonishingly charming and informative biography.' - Publishers Weekly

'At last! The definitive biography of the most influential advertising executive with whom I had the pleasure of working. Ken Roman's research diligence has brought much more of David's uniqueness to light. A great read from someone who worked with David for 26 years!' - Jack Keenan, former CEO of Kraft Foods International, and Diageo PLC Wine and Spirits
 
'A most interesting book. It is a sensitive account of the career of this complex man who so successfully melded intuition and analysis. It should be compulsory reading for anyone contemplating a career in advertising or communications.' - Sir Michael Angus, former Chairman, Unilever
 
'David Ogilvy was unquestionably the King of Madison Avenue. Ken Roman's biography reflects his personal insights gained from being a colleague of Ogilvy's for several decades. This intimate portrayal makes clear Ogilvy's inspiring leadership of his agency even though he abhorred his managerial tasks. Ogilvy's convictions about what made for effective advertising - it sells - are clearly described by Roman, as is his brilliant personal salesmanship in winning new clients. A terrific read!' - Ron Daniel, former Managing Partner, McKinsey & Co.

'In so far as it is possible to recreate the unique wit and always unexpected genius of David Ogilvy, Kenneth Roman has succeeded.' - Louis Auchincloss, National Medal of Arts winner and best-selling author of The House of Five Talents, Portrait in Brownstone, East Side Story, and many more

'David and Leo were very different types but great mutual admirers. Ken's book is thoroughly researched and very well written. The boss would be proud of him.' - Cap Adams, retired CEO, Leo Burnett Co.

'This brilliant biography is like a gorgeous iceberg. The tip dazzles the reader and is supported by a mass of weighty research below. Kenneth Roman enchants us with his account of the life and times of David Ogilvy who towered above the world of advertising … It should be required reading for all in the business … The story is told swiftly and entertainingly. The voluminous research is set out in detailed notes at the back, and these also grip the attention of those who want to know how so much could be told with such flair, and why the author can paint a background of historical events with such certainty.' - William Stevenson, author of A Man Called Intrepid

'This is a surprisingly interesting book about one of the most remarkable characters in advertising history. It is also an introduction to the business itself and how it has been conducted, in sickness and in health, by someone who lived the experience.' - Martin Mayer, author of Madison Avenue USA

 
'An affectionate account of a colorful and influential figure...a pleasure to read.' - Burt Helm, BusinessWeek
 
'Thanks to The King of Madison Avenue, now we know David Ogilvy.' Paul B. Carroll, The Wall Street Journal

'...powerful and entertaining...admirably researched and beautifully written.' James Brady, Forbes.com

'...an admiring but clear-eyed portrait.' The New York Observer
 
'Kenneth Roman's very readable biography presents an expansive and entertaining portrait...Roman does a masterful job of conveying the colorful personality of Ogilvy.' - Richard Pacher, The Miami Herald
 
'Kenneth Roman's biography is better than Ogilvy's own memoirs.' - James Heartfield, Art Review
 
'In his account of life with Ogilvy, Roman writes perceptively of this prickly, difficult and demanding genius.' - Araminta Wordsworth, Financial Post 

'...[a] brisk and entertaining biography...' - Tom Siebert, Admap
 
'Quite apart from a fascinating life, this biography has, in its pages, a great deal of management wisdom expressed by its subject.' - Business Executive

'If you have an unscratched interest in David Ogilvy, this book is a must read.' - Margaret Gilsenan, Marketing




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Average Customer Review
4.7 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Compelling and lucid, 10 Feb 2009
Ken Roman's biography on David Ogilvy is attracting a clutch of reviews in the media - which are on the whole very positive - and I think that The Financial Times has got it about right.
What can I add to any review? Not much - except a personal tale, which I daresay mirrors that of thousands.
Quite by chance, in 1983 I bought a book called Ogilvy on Advertising. And the first chapter started off with the words, `I do not regard advertising as entertainment or an art-form. When I write an advertisement, I don't want you to tell me you find it creative. I want you to find it so interesting you buy the product.' This clear statement of the process and purpose of advertising - not well understood by today's advertising fraternity whose work is either largely characterised by vacuous imagery or defies comprehension - electrified me because I had an interest in writing, print layouts, typography and graphic design. This was something I could do. (And ultimately, it helped when it came to producing my own book.)
Thus inspired, in 1987 I moved to Cambridge and set up my own small ad agency.
Following a letter I sent him asking for permission to quote from his book, David Ogilvy and I corresponded regularly. He and two others, Bill Bernbach and Leo Burnett, had led the creative revolution in American advertising in the sixties. Thirty years later during his semi-retirement, David's principles became the industry's bedrock whenever it went through turbulent times and periods of self-doubt. And because he was indisputably one of the greatest admen of the twentieth century, I was not unnaturally greatly flattered by his interest in what I was doing - especially when he invited me over to France to his home, an estimable chateau in Touffou, a tiny little village near Poitiers. Always kind, warm and encouraging, none of which prevented him from being either didactic or terrifyingly blunt, I came to admire him more than anyone else I have ever known - and for reasons not just connected to advertising.
What is the point of this story? Ask yourself which other major player in advertising would have taken interest in someone like me. No one. It says a lot about him. It `differentiates' him. It's part of his brand. The new biography explains this thoroughly along with the stories about David's prowess at making ads.
Ken Roman also gets across David's paternalism - paternalism in the best sense - extremely well. And much else. There's lots of new stuff here. One learns, or I did, that David Ogilvy's influence went far beyond the creative aspects of early ad campaigns. His vision was cosmic.
A truly compelling biography, which eschews trivial tittle-tattle, written by someone who is no slouch when it comes to writing. Do read it.
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5.0 out of 5 stars The original Mad Man of Madison Avenue, 1 Aug 2009
By Chris Pearson (Gloucestershire, UK) - See all my reviews
  
Ironically it was Ogilvy, a Scotsman who wrote the rules for American advertising in the 50's and 60's and with the exception of his views on TV commercials, I think many of his seminal works and `rules' are still as valid today.

But what of the man himself?

This book is a comprehensive bio by a former colleague. There is no doubt Ogilvy was an eccentric and cultivated his eccentricities. He used a bulldog paper clip on his tie, frequently wore a kilt for dramatic effect, was known for behaving appallingly in restaurants, smoked other people's cigarettes and cigars, wore bow ties with tweed suits and a black cape with a scarlet lining when arriving at the office. He created himself as a brand, and was a pretty successful one at that.

But he was also a brilliant copywriter and brand strategist. He hated the use of the term `creativity' in advertising and believed that `Unless your advertisement is based on a BIG IDEA it will pass like a ship in the night'. David also believed in the `dogmatism of brevity' and the combination of this and the `big idea' created powerful and unforgettable ads that have become landmarks in American advertising.

There is no doubt he was a `big ideas' man rather than a businessman -his brother Francis fulfilled that role and it is evident reading this book that he also had a big influence on David.

This book not only charts his success on Madison Avenue but also his early years and jobs outside advertising, including his time in British Intelligence in New York during WW2. It covers his personal and business relationships, his time as a researcher, love of the Amish lifestyle and his latter years as the figurehead of a massively successful global business that struggled to embrace his paternalistic business values and commercial ethos. The finale is the takeover led by Martin Sorrell, which reads like `Barbarians at the gate'.

A comprehensive and complimentary read to Ogilvy's own publications, and a fascinating insight into the original Mad Man of Madison Avenue.
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4.0 out of 5 stars Original Mad Man- Inspirational, 19 May 2009
By S. Absia (London, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This book allows you to follow the man behind the legend. If you want to get into the world of advertising or already in it, I recommend this book to inspire you. To trigger that spark.

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