Rowan Dean

Rowan Dean is one of the most respected and most creative figures in Australian advertising circles.

Rowan led Euro RSCG Australia into the enviable position of being one of Australia’s most successful integrated advertising agencies, winning major awards from Caples, AMI, ADMA, and the Webby’s through to the Caxtons, Cannes Gold and Silver Lions and a Silver D&AD, amongst many others.

Previously, Rowan was also Executive Creative Director of one of Australia’s largest and most successful advertisers, Reckitt Benckiser and was acknowledged globally as being one of the leading Creative Directors on many of its best-known brands including Nurofen, Mortein, Harpic, Finish and Dettol.

As an Australian copywriter in London, Rowan was responsible not only for one of the most successful alcohol launches ever – Fosters Lager into the UK – but also for co-writing an ad that has repeatedly been voted one of the top ads of all time, Hamlet ‘Photobooth’.

Rowan Dean began his award-winning directing career at London hot shop Rose Hackney, where he won a Cannes Silver Lion for his German ‘Aids’ commercial. After returning to Australia, he formed his own production company, Rowan Dean Films, which was one of Australia’s leading production companies in the 90s and specialised in comedy/dialogue and special effects.

During 2000-2003, when Rowan was voted Chairman of AWARD, the Australasian Writers and Art Directors Association, membership doubled and numerous industry initiatives were launched.

More recently, he has become familiar to Australian audiences as a panellist on ABC’s show Gruen, weekly political satirist with the Financial Review, associate editor of The Spectator Australia and regular guest on The Drum and Sky Nation. He also has popular segments on the ABC’s Counterpoint (‘Truth Well Told’) and on Radio 2UE (‘Behind The Brief’).

An entertaining and informative speaker, Rowan can talk about anything from the hedonistic days of classic 80s advertising through to the bizarre and shocking world of contemporary Australian politics. He is a keen observer and critic of the ever-merging worlds of PR gimmickry, political dishonesty and manipulative ‘spin’.