David Ogilvy
David Ogilvy
David Mackenzie Ogilvy CBEwas an advertising executive who was widely hailed as "The Father of Advertising". In 1962, Time called him "the most sought-after wizard in today's advertising industry". He founded Ogilvy & Mather...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionBusinessman
Date of Birth23 June 1911
selfish advertising interest
Advertising is the place where the selfish interests of the manufacturer coincide with the interests of society.
dull today campaigns
A lot of today's campaigns are based on optimum positioning but are totally ineffective - because they are dull, or badly constructed, or ineptly written. If nobody reads your advertisement or looks at your commercial, it doesn't do you much good to have the right positioning.
advertising should decided
Positioning should be decided before the advertising is created
hell marketers knows
The only marketers who know what the hell they're doing are those who have worked in sales
creative sells
It's not creative unless it sells.
leaving tools schedules
The success of a meeting often depends on having the right documents - proofs, artwork, schedules, research charts, etc. - present at the start of the meeting. All too often we arrive like plumbers, leaving our tools behind.
jobs trying ambitious
Be more ambitious. Don't bunt. When you get a job to do a story or an ad, try and hit the ball out of the park every time
jargon use ass
Never use jargon words like 'reconceptualize', 'demassification', 'attitudinally', 'judgmentally'. They are hallmarks of a pretentious ass.
hours staff figures
I figure that my staff will be less reluctant to work overtime if I work longer hours than they do.
two doctors people
Great hospitals do two things. They look after patients, and they teach young doctors. We look after clients, and we teach young advertising people.
kings book reading
I had a friend who was the King's surgeon in England. One day I asked him what makes a great surgeon. He replied, "What distinguishes a great surgeon is his knowledge. He knows more than other surgeons. During an operation he finds something which he wasn't expecting, recognizes it and knows what to do about it." It's the same thing with advertising people. The good ones know more. How do you get to know more? By reading books about advertising. By picking the brains of people who know more than you do. From the Magic Lanterns. And from experience.
ideas advertising-business bigs
I'd like to be remembered, as a copywriter who had some big ideas. That's what the advertising business is all about. Big ideas
class way firsts
My motto has always been: Only first class business and that in a first class way
feet magazines fifteen
Most headlines are set too big to be legible in the magazines or newspaper. Never approve a layout until you have seen it pasted into the magazine or newspaper for which it was destined. If you pin up the layouts on a bulletin board and appraise them from fifteen feet, you will produce posters.