Background
Alben, Russ was born on December 27, 1929 in New York City. Son of Miles H. and Sylvia (Fink) Alben.
Alben, Russ was born on December 27, 1929 in New York City. Son of Miles H. and Sylvia (Fink) Alben.
AB, Syracuse University, 1951.
He served as the Vice President and Creative Director of Ogilvy & Mather from the early 1970s until his retirement in December 1981. Alben is credited with writing the Good & Plenty's Choo Choo Charlie jingle and creating the Timex watch advertising slogan, "It takes a licking and keeps on ticking." Early life and career He received a bachelor's degree in 1951 from Syracuse University, where he contributed to Radio Station WAER. He briefly worked as a producer for several children's television shows, such as Bozo the Clown, before beginning a forty year career in advertising. Advertising Alben began his career in the ad industry by working as a copywriter at Benton & Bowles and then Grey Advertising.
Many of his accounts dealt with accounts for children's toys and other products, including manufactured by Mattel, Hasbro and the Ideal Toy Company. Alben created ad campaigns for Hot Wheels and wrote the script for the first Barbie Fashion Show. He wrote the jingle Good & Plenty's Choo Choo Charlie television commercials.
Alben held an advertising account for Post Cereal during the 1960s. He wrote songs for two of Post's advertising mascots, Linus the Lionhearted and Sugar Bear. During the Fall of 1968, Alben became the creative director of the Carson Roberts Agency, based in Los Angeles, California.
Alben became the Vice President and Creative Director of Ogilvy & Mather in the early 1970s, when Ogilvy acquired the Carson Roberts Agency. He remained the creative director of Ogilvy & Mather until his retirement in December 1981.
Cons. New York Democratic State Committee, 1952, 56. Master sergeant United States Army Reserve, 1950-1956. Member Tau Epsilon Phi.
Married Ruth Winokoor, May 24, 1953 (divorced 1982). Children: Alex, Ted.