Mad Men’s Best Writer Was Ken Cosgrove, Not Don Draper

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On the hit TV show Mad Men, Don Draper was consistently portrayed as an exceptionally talented writer, which earned him the position of creative director. However, it’s important to note that he wasn’t the most skilled writer within Sterling Cooper. Despite his writing talent being confined to the advertising world, Don demonstrated a natural aptitude for language and a rich imagination. It was Don’s heartfelt, family-oriented pitch for the “Carousel” campaign that ultimately won over Kodak. Even in a drunken state, he was able to spontaneously generate a dozen slogans for Life cereal (although it turned out that one of them had been unintentionally plagiarized).

Whenever the agency faced tough situations, Don’s innovative solutions to resolve the problems often revolved around the use of written communication. For instance, Don’s letter against tobacco, published in The New York Times, dealt a significant blow to Lucky Strike and prevented bankruptcy for the company. In another scenario, when executives at a different agency were involved in a negative incident by throwing water balloons at Black protestors, Don seized this opportunity to turn the tables in favor of his own agency. He placed an ad highlighting SCDP as “an equal opportunity employer” where the “windows don’t open.” While Don was indeed a skilled writer, the agency boasted an even more talented one.

Ken Cosgrove Was The Best Writer On Mad Men, Not Don Draper

Ken Wrote Novels & Had A Short Story Published In The Atlantic

In the realm of advertising, Don was a strong contender. However, the most talented wordsmith in the office wasn’t part of the creative team; instead, he was Ken Cosgrove, an acclaimed fiction author. His writing prowess gained recognition when his short story titled “Tapping a Maple on a Cold Vermont Morning” was published in the esteemed Atlantic Monthly. Moreover, he penned two novels, leading to his tremendous success as a writer. This achievement, however, sparked envy among his colleagues, particularly Pete Campbell, who felt a pang of resentment over Ken’s literary fame.

As a staunch believer, I’d like to share an intriguing perspective: there’s a theory floating around that the iconic series Mad Men was penned by Ken himself. Despite his extraordinary talent and achievements in the writing world, confining himself to the role of an account man in advertising was his choice. The creative realm, with its copywriting demands, held little allure for him. Instead, he focused on making a living through advertising so he could devote more time to his true passion: fiction writing and spending quality moments with his loved ones. While Ken had the knack for crafting captivating short stories worthy of publication, coming up with catchy slogans was an entirely distinct skill set.

It’s possible that he wasn’t the ideal match for the creative team, but he excelled significantly in his role as an Account Manager. Kenneth has a knack for dealing with people effectively, which helped him win over clients and secure new business deals effortlessly. When Kenneth and Pete were appointed Co-Directors of Accounts, Pete started to feel somewhat envious of the number of accounts that Kenneth was successfully managing. Given his substantial earnings as an Account Manager and the spare time it afforded him for writing fiction, Kenneth never contemplated a shift towards the creative department.

What Happened To Ken Cosgrove At The End Of Mad Men

Ken Became Vengeful After Being Fired

As the final seasons of Mad Men approached, Ken came close to a content ending; however, his situation shifted, leading him down a path of revenge and spite. When Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce was bought by McCann Erickson, Ken’s wife Cynthia suggested he resign from work and abandon the advertising industry altogether. They had accumulated sufficient funds to live comfortably without it, and she believed that Ken would find greater happiness if he left the agency and dedicated himself entirely to writing fiction. Had he followed through with this plan, he might have attained the personal satisfaction that remained out of reach for many Mad Men characters.

This version maintains the original’s clarity while using more conversational language to make it easier to read.

However, right as Ken was preparing to depart from the business, an unexpected termination occurred. Ferguson held a grudge against Ken for speaking ill of McCann post-company departure, which prompted him to instruct Roger to dismiss him. Rather than stepping away from the industry, Ken transformed into one of the less overt antagonists in ‘Mad Men’. Driven by resentment towards his former colleagues, he opted to stay employed and cause trouble instead. In the final season of ‘Mad Men’, he seized his father-in-law’s position at Dow Chemicals—a significant client of SCDP—to create difficulties for his ex-employers.

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2025-06-03 15:14