MAM
Percept digitICE executes virtual live conference for Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail
NEW DELHI: Supporting the corporates to get accustomed to the ‘new normal’ and host virtual events on a scale, the newly launched full-service digital, virtual and hybrid experiential marketing & events unit of Percept ICE, Percept digitICE recently conceptualised and executed a virtual live conference and awards event for Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd (ABFRL).
The four-day virtual conference and awards ceremony was held from 7 to 10 December 2020 and saw the senior management and over 4,500 ABFRL employees virtually attend the show from pan India. The live stream bridged multiple digital platforms and seamlessly synchronised all these platforms across geographies on a specially designed micro-site for the occasion.
With the very best of technology, innovation and creative prowess deployed by Percept digitICE, employees were able to seamlessly interact and network with the senior leadership, speakers, jury panellists and awardees in real-time in the virtual world across the four days of the event.
Percept ICE EVP & business head Vidya Alva said, “The successful execution of this event highlights the growing importance of the digital era even as leading brands and companies aim to proactively connect with their stakeholders in the years ahead. With the world still battling the pandemic and physical distancing being a continuing reality, our swift leap into the digital frontier has certainly given us a massive advantage in the digital, virtual, and hybrid space to enable our clients to host virtual events, conferences, launches, awards, employee engagements and more, thereby ensuring an uninterrupted reach, narrative and growth of their business profile.”
Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail AVP – talent, learning and OE said, “The ABFRL Awards symbolise the quest for excellence and while in the interest of safety we could not do an in-person ceremony; it was important for us to realise impactful means to recognise our achievements. The successful live-cast of the 2020 Awards did exactly that and wonderfully endorsed our commitment to inspiring, rewarding and celebrating some of the best and finest work done by individuals and teams. Percept ICE pulled off a seamless virtual event that showcased our promise to spotlight excellence, seek inspiration and learn along with facilitating personal connects and conversations via creative innovation on the back of new-age technology.”
MAM
Kenneth Roman, former Ogilvy CEO and ad industry veteran, passes away at 95
Longtime Ogilvy & Mather leader and David Ogilvy biographer leaves lasting legacy
NEW YORK: Kenneth Roman, the former chairman and chief executive of Ogilvy & Mather and a defining figure of Madison Avenue’s golden era, has passed away at the age of 95. He died on 22 April 2026 at his home in Manhattan.
Roman spent more than two decades at Ogilvy, joining in 1963 as an account executive and steadily rising through the ranks to lead the agency as chairman and CEO from 1985 to 1989. His tenure coincided with a pivotal period in the company’s history, including its acquisition by WPP.
Beyond the boardroom, Roman was widely respected as the definitive chronicler of the agency’s founder, David Ogilvy. His biography, The King of Madison Avenue, remains one of the most authoritative accounts of modern advertising’s evolution. He also co-authored influential titles such as How to Advertise and Writing That Works, both regarded as essential reading in the industry.
In a tribute, Ogilvy described Roman as a “quietly determined” leader and a lifelong custodian of the agency’s culture. Even after retirement, he remained closely connected to the firm, contributing articles, mentoring talent and serving as a trusted voice on its history and values.
Colleagues remember him not just for his leadership, but for his generosity and commitment to the craft of writing and storytelling. His presence at industry events and continued engagement with the Ogilvy community reflected a career that never quite slowed down.
Roman’s passing marks the end of an era for the original Madison Avenue generation. He leaves behind a legacy shaped by leadership, authorship and an enduring belief in the power of ideas and people.
