What do you think?
Rate this book
Ogilvy on Advertising
A candid and indispensable primer on all aspects of advertising from the man Time has called "the most sought after wizard in the business." Told with brutal candor and prodigal generosity, David Ogilvy • How to get a job in advertising• How to choose an agency for your product• The secrets behind advertising that works• How to write successful copy—and get people to read it• Eighteen miracles of research• What advertising can do for charities And much, much more.
484 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1983
1908 people are currently reading
20486 people want to read
About the author
David Ogilvy
71 books362 followersDavid Mackenzie Ogilvy was born in West Horsley, England, on June 23, 1911. He was educated at Fettes College in Edinburgh and at Christ Church, Oxford (although he didn't graduate).
david ogilvy After Oxford, Ogilvy went to Paris, where he worked in the kitchen of the Hotel Majestic. He learned discipline, management - and when to move on: "If I stayed at the Majestic I would have faced years of slave wages, fiendish pressure, and perpetual exhaustion." He returned to England to sell cooking stoves, door-to-door.
Ogilvy's career with Aga Cookers was astonishing. He sold stoves to nuns, drunkards, and everyone in between. In 1935 he wrote a guide for Aga salesmen (Fortune magazine called it "probably the best sales manual ever written"). Among its suggestions, "The more prospects you talk to, the more sales you expose yourself to, the more orders you will get. But never mistake quantity of calls for quality of salesmanship."
In 1938, Ogilvy emigrated to the United States, where he went to work for George Gallup's Audience Research Institute in New Jersey. Ogilvy cites Gallup as one of the major influences on his thinking, emphasizing meticulous research methods and adherence to reality...
david ogilvy After Oxford, Ogilvy went to Paris, where he worked in the kitchen of the Hotel Majestic. He learned discipline, management - and when to move on: "If I stayed at the Majestic I would have faced years of slave wages, fiendish pressure, and perpetual exhaustion." He returned to England to sell cooking stoves, door-to-door.
Ogilvy's career with Aga Cookers was astonishing. He sold stoves to nuns, drunkards, and everyone in between. In 1935 he wrote a guide for Aga salesmen (Fortune magazine called it "probably the best sales manual ever written"). Among its suggestions, "The more prospects you talk to, the more sales you expose yourself to, the more orders you will get. But never mistake quantity of calls for quality of salesmanship."
In 1938, Ogilvy emigrated to the United States, where he went to work for George Gallup's Audience Research Institute in New Jersey. Ogilvy cites Gallup as one of the major influences on his thinking, emphasizing meticulous research methods and adherence to reality...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 525 reviews
December 8, 2014
What I have learnt from Ogilvy on Advertising
- black letter on white background!!! the reverse does not work
- do research on what the audience wants to see, do not just base on your preference
- if it does not sell, it isn’t creative
- order of print ad: picture, headlines, subheadlines, words (that’s what the audience's mind wants)
- there are many advertising agencies because one can not work for its clients’ competitors
- long-term contract with clients is crucial to the business
- keep track of the sales after the advertisement is carried out
- headlines are important, very important!!
- use colors, costs more but attracts more
- long copy is better than short because research showed that long attracts more readership
- if an advertisement works, keep it for long
- read to expand your knowledge
- be a good psychologist
- hire people who are better than you are
- research research research
- advertising which promises no benefit to the consumer does not sell, yet the majority of campaigns contain no promise whatsoever
- try to find a promise which is not only persuasive but also unique
- advertising is production cost, not selling cost
- in advertising, the beginning of greatness is to be different, and the beginning of failure is to be the same
- do not write in capital letter
- black letter on white background!!! the reverse does not work
- do research on what the audience wants to see, do not just base on your preference
- if it does not sell, it isn’t creative
- order of print ad: picture, headlines, subheadlines, words (that’s what the audience's mind wants)
- there are many advertising agencies because one can not work for its clients’ competitors
- long-term contract with clients is crucial to the business
- keep track of the sales after the advertisement is carried out
- headlines are important, very important!!
- use colors, costs more but attracts more
- long copy is better than short because research showed that long attracts more readership
- if an advertisement works, keep it for long
- read to expand your knowledge
- be a good psychologist
- hire people who are better than you are
- research research research
- advertising which promises no benefit to the consumer does not sell, yet the majority of campaigns contain no promise whatsoever
- try to find a promise which is not only persuasive but also unique
- advertising is production cost, not selling cost
- in advertising, the beginning of greatness is to be different, and the beginning of failure is to be the same
- do not write in capital letter
December 31, 2025
I've had this book in my shelves for a couple years and finally sat down to begin reading it recently. And I'm so, so, soooo mad at myself because I wish I had read this immediately when I first picked it up!
Although it was written decades ago and contains information that will be construed as outdated (especially since the look of advertising has definitely changed substantially), a lot of it is still sound and relevant. I don't work in advertising, but I was thinking of a ton of areas where the information would be applicable for myself - from marketing materials to interaction design and even just basic career/work advice.
Also, I'm sure it could be said for a lot of books written over the years, but I found that the essentials of his advice and thoughts throughout the book have been echoed and repeated in tons of blog posts and articles I've read for the last few years. There seem to be very common themes about design and work that will always be relevant to designers/creatives. He was a proponent of research, research, research in design. He believed in using theories/frameworks that worked continually and improving on them. The power of truly good copy. Great stuff.
Although it was written decades ago and contains information that will be construed as outdated (especially since the look of advertising has definitely changed substantially), a lot of it is still sound and relevant. I don't work in advertising, but I was thinking of a ton of areas where the information would be applicable for myself - from marketing materials to interaction design and even just basic career/work advice.
Also, I'm sure it could be said for a lot of books written over the years, but I found that the essentials of his advice and thoughts throughout the book have been echoed and repeated in tons of blog posts and articles I've read for the last few years. There seem to be very common themes about design and work that will always be relevant to designers/creatives. He was a proponent of research, research, research in design. He believed in using theories/frameworks that worked continually and improving on them. The power of truly good copy. Great stuff.
March 10, 2019
Quite an insightful and utterly engrossing read, although it would have been even more interesting if we could read his opinions about the current state of advertising. I enjoyed his writing a lot, and his main points still hold up well. Sadly, his prediction about giant billboards and deception in political advertisement becoming obsolete was very, very wrong...
Thank goodness I had previously read Simon Garfield's Just My Type, otherwise I would have never been able to appreciate why sans serifs are no good in advertising (with which I intuitively totally agree). Ogilvy is delightful, his book is much more intriguing than many works of fiction.
Любов, благодаря за индиректната препоръка! :D
Thank goodness I had previously read Simon Garfield's Just My Type, otherwise I would have never been able to appreciate why sans serifs are no good in advertising (with which I intuitively totally agree). Ogilvy is delightful, his book is much more intriguing than many works of fiction.
Любов, благодаря за индиректната препоръка! :D
March 18, 2019
This book was a required reading for my studies; very informative and interesting. A great book on advertising.
March 28, 2017
Ogilvy is brilliant. Even with the advent of the internet, the core of advertising remains the same because basic human motives remain the same, and what he has to say is still very relevant.
While the rest of the book is packed with time-honored strategies and tips, his talent is especially evident in the chapter dedicated to past advertising giants.
This might seem like a fluff chapter to those people just looking to absorb facts, but it is far more valuable – he is showing you how to communicate effectively in words (in much the same way his highlighted advertisements do).
He is demonstrating the insight that makes him a great storyteller – and thus a great advertiser. Advertisers have to communicate all of the things that an artist, a writer, or a composer must – character, mood, setting, and yes, even plot. They are providing you with snapshots. Your mind fills in the parts of the story that happen before or after (this future-thinking is typically of what life will be like after obtaining the thing being advertised).
His characterizations in particular are magnificent – vivid and succinct. An excerpt:
“He was a shy, mousy little man and spoke with a strong lisp. His nickname was Thee-Thee, that being the way he pronounced his initials C.C. But he was a good raconteur and after-dinner speaker. He always wore a fuchsia in his buttonhole, chewed licorice root, and spat profusely on the person he was talking to.”
At the end of this chapter, I had clear images in my head of each and every one of the people listed, and I thoroughly bought what he was selling – these were great men. Given that all six of them seem to be older, white gentlemen in the same business, how difficult must that have been?
Did I mention that this book is incredibly easy to read, is blocked well, contains several interesting visual accompaniments, and is a page-turner?
Very enjoyable book. I highly recommend it.
While the rest of the book is packed with time-honored strategies and tips, his talent is especially evident in the chapter dedicated to past advertising giants.
This might seem like a fluff chapter to those people just looking to absorb facts, but it is far more valuable – he is showing you how to communicate effectively in words (in much the same way his highlighted advertisements do).
He is demonstrating the insight that makes him a great storyteller – and thus a great advertiser. Advertisers have to communicate all of the things that an artist, a writer, or a composer must – character, mood, setting, and yes, even plot. They are providing you with snapshots. Your mind fills in the parts of the story that happen before or after (this future-thinking is typically of what life will be like after obtaining the thing being advertised).
His characterizations in particular are magnificent – vivid and succinct. An excerpt:
“He was a shy, mousy little man and spoke with a strong lisp. His nickname was Thee-Thee, that being the way he pronounced his initials C.C. But he was a good raconteur and after-dinner speaker. He always wore a fuchsia in his buttonhole, chewed licorice root, and spat profusely on the person he was talking to.”
At the end of this chapter, I had clear images in my head of each and every one of the people listed, and I thoroughly bought what he was selling – these were great men. Given that all six of them seem to be older, white gentlemen in the same business, how difficult must that have been?
Did I mention that this book is incredibly easy to read, is blocked well, contains several interesting visual accompaniments, and is a page-turner?
Very enjoyable book. I highly recommend it.
June 20, 2016
Тази книга ми е повод за гордост откъм редакция, не само защото е ценна и интересна, а и защото ни я връщаха толкова пъти. Което оценявам, понеже вече е близо до съвършенство. Много хора стоят зад тази любопитна и занимателна рекламна библия, радвам се, че и аз съм сред тях.
Дейвид Огилви е бащата на едни от най-популярните реклами, които познаваме. Беше адски интересно да надникна в неговия свят и то от неговата перспектива. И така обичам, когато авторът е откровен и автентичен. Тук Огилви наистина не се преструва, макар че може би уменията му да рекламира се прилепват и към писането му. Може би затова е толкова убедителен. Но страхотна книга, наистина. А рядко ме впечатлява нехудожествена литература.
Очаквайте съвсем скоро от издателство „Изток-запад“.
Дейвид Огилви е бащата на едни от най-популярните реклами, които познаваме. Беше адски интересно да надникна в неговия свят и то от неговата перспектива. И така обичам, когато авторът е откровен и автентичен. Тук Огилви наистина не се преструва, макар че може би уменията му да рекламира се прилепват и към писането му. Може би затова е толкова убедителен. Но страхотна книга, наистина. А рядко ме впечатлява нехудожествена литература.
Очаквайте съвсем скоро от издателство „Изток-запад“.
October 31, 2017
I am not in an advertising business, and read this book out of curiosity. It changed my view on what advertising is.
Key ideas:
The purpose of advertising is to sell. Advertising can be called “Sales in print”.
The most creative advertisement is not necessarily the most effective one.
The more you know the product the more there is a chance that you will come up with a big idea
Advertising can be considered
People don’t buy commodities, they buy images (Jack Daniels – is it really better than other whiskey?)
Brand is 90% what a distiller has to sell
If you and your competitor both make excellent products, don’t imply that you are better
Reuse good advertisement, until it is not effective anymore. If it was effective a year ago, it will be this year
Don’t try to be original
Make it fun to work. Get rid of sad people
Hire people, who are better than you are
Make conflicts transparent. Face to face. No talking behind anyone’s back
People do their best work in a happy atmosphere
Show people what they want to see
Make specific promises, avoid generalities
The best companies differentiate themselves
Correlation between quality and price is almost 0. It is all about brand
Advertising is a cheap form of selling. With 1 TV commercial you reach millions of people
Bill boards will disappear
Key ideas:
The purpose of advertising is to sell. Advertising can be called “Sales in print”.
The most creative advertisement is not necessarily the most effective one.
The more you know the product the more there is a chance that you will come up with a big idea
Advertising can be considered
People don’t buy commodities, they buy images (Jack Daniels – is it really better than other whiskey?)
Brand is 90% what a distiller has to sell
If you and your competitor both make excellent products, don’t imply that you are better
Reuse good advertisement, until it is not effective anymore. If it was effective a year ago, it will be this year
Don’t try to be original
Make it fun to work. Get rid of sad people
Hire people, who are better than you are
Make conflicts transparent. Face to face. No talking behind anyone’s back
People do their best work in a happy atmosphere
Show people what they want to see
Make specific promises, avoid generalities
The best companies differentiate themselves
Correlation between quality and price is almost 0. It is all about brand
Advertising is a cheap form of selling. With 1 TV commercial you reach millions of people
Bill boards will disappear
March 10, 2020
I almost didn't read this book because I thought it would be too dated - but for a book that's 35 years old, there's a lot of information that has held up well (and a lot that didn't lol).
Obviously there was no internet, no social media, no personal computers, no smartphones, no satellite radio or streaming services in the early 80s - so advertising has changed a good deal, but a lot of the principles are the same.
A few things I wrote down for myself out of this book:
Ogilvy used to nested Russian dolls to his high-level managers with a note that said
I also liked the section about that discussed that being creative doesn't mean you have to be original
Oh, and I enjoyed the mini-bios of some of the men that formed the largest ad agencies in the world.
Time to go rewatch all the episodes of Mad Men now...
Obviously there was no internet, no social media, no personal computers, no smartphones, no satellite radio or streaming services in the early 80s - so advertising has changed a good deal, but a lot of the principles are the same.
A few things I wrote down for myself out of this book:
Ogilvy used to nested Russian dolls to his high-level managers with a note that said
If each of us hires people who are smaller than we are, we shall become a company of dwarves, but if each of us hires people who are bigger than we are, we become a company of giants
Perfectionism is spelled paralysis - Churchill
If it doesn't sell - it isn't creative
I also liked the section about that discussed that being creative doesn't mean you have to be original
Oh, and I enjoyed the mini-bios of some of the men that formed the largest ad agencies in the world.
Time to go rewatch all the episodes of Mad Men now...
November 10, 2021
3 заради дистанцията на времето, без да пренебрегвам гениалността на Огилви. Страшно много харесвам отношението му към рекламата като информативно средство, което работи за аудиторията си. А не непременно креативно чудо, заради егото на копирайтъра. (:
Съветите за копирайта според мен си остават актуални, особено в частта колко много трябва да четеш, за да станеш добър.
Съветите за копирайта според мен си остават актуални, особено в частта колко много трябва да четеш, за да станеш добър.
January 23, 2022
“идею вообще нельзя назвать великой до тех пор, пока она не доказала свою действенность в течение как минимум тридцати лет.”
Весьма занимательная книга о том, что основные задачи рекламы почти любого бренда можно решить универсально действующими рекламными приемами, которые себя оправдывают уже 30+ лет. Конечно же, есть много новых способов привлечения внимания, которые помогают откусить свою долю рынка, но они основаны на базовых принципах, которые работали и в прошлом столетии.
Особенно интересно читать главы, которые описывают внутреннюю «кухню» рекламных агентств, если ты работал в одном из подобных международных компаниях. На протяжении долгих лет ничего не изменилось:
“— Чем вы занимаетесь?
— Я инженер. А вы?
— Я менеджер проекта в рекламном агентстве.
— Вы пишете рекламные т��ксты?
— Нет, это делают копирайтеры.
— Да, у вас хорошая работа.
— Но не такая уж легкая. Мы проводим массу исследований.
— Вы сами проводите исследования?
— Нет, у нас для этого есть ш��ат аналитиков.
— Значит, вы ищете новых клиентов?— Нет, это не моя задача.
— Простите, но чем же занимаетесь вы сами?
— Маркетингом.
— Вы занимаетесь маркетингом для ваших клиентов?
— Нет, они делают это сами.
— Но вы — руководитель?
— Нет, но скоро буду.”
Весьма занимательная книга о том, что основные задачи рекламы почти любого бренда можно решить универсально действующими рекламными приемами, которые себя оправдывают уже 30+ лет. Конечно же, есть много новых способов привлечения внимания, которые помогают откусить свою долю рынка, но они основаны на базовых принципах, которые работали и в прошлом столетии.
Особенно интересно читать главы, которые описывают внутреннюю «кухню» рекламных агентств, если ты работал в одном из подобных международных компаниях. На протяжении долгих лет ничего не изменилось:
“— Чем вы занимаетесь?
— Я инженер. А вы?
— Я менеджер проекта в рекламном агентстве.
— Вы пишете рекламные т��ксты?
— Нет, это делают копирайтеры.
— Да, у вас хорошая работа.
— Но не такая уж легкая. Мы проводим массу исследований.
— Вы сами проводите исследования?
— Нет, у нас для этого есть ш��ат аналитиков.
— Значит, вы ищете новых клиентов?— Нет, это не моя задача.
— Простите, но чем же занимаетесь вы сами?
— Маркетингом.
— Вы занимаетесь маркетингом для ваших клиентов?
— Нет, они делают это сами.
— Но вы — руководитель?
— Нет, но скоро буду.”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 7, 2018
Well he's definitely a salesperson, I'll give you that.
One afternoon my friend asked me to source for her a book on advertising called On Advertising. I found the book for her and on a whim (attracted by the beautiful pictures in the first few pages, good one David) bought a copy for myself.
Now I'm no student or fan of marketing or advertising or copywriting. In fact, my stance before this book, on people who worked with marketing, was positively negative. I thought that they were a whole bunch of immoral people duping everyone in to mass consumption, cashing on the insecurities of the public, and convincing people they needed stuff they didn't.
Yet, I liked the way David wrote. It was honest, casual, and it seemed like he agreed with me on poseurs too (would you rather hear a popular artist on the radio or a shakespeare play?). So based on vanity (read: I like how David agrees with me on a few points), and a liking for shiny stuff (read: wow, look at those photographs) I began reading it.
What I read changed my opinion on marketing completely. I was persuaded, sold, convinced, converted. However you put it. David's description of marketing, the literature involved in it, the research behind it, the psychology at play (in other words, the parts that made me abhor marketing when I was uninformed, curiously made me like it now that I was slightly informed.) made me find it to be a highly catching read. I finished it in one go, something I hadn't done in a while, and certainly not for a random book.
I know why I liked it. David made copy writers seem like authors, writers. (Huxley was a copywriter too he pointed out subtly). He elevated the occupation, pointing out subtly that excellence and success exist in marketing too. (Look at my beautiful castle, clearly I'm rich and have made some right decisions, he seemingly points out on one of the pages which has a photograph of a castle.)
He highlighted beautiful ads, and for the first time made me look at them not as things directed to dupe me, but as projects by people like me, who wanted to create something beautiful and impacting. He emphasised at how editorial everything was, how not baseless it was, how well researched (the good ones atleast) it was, how aesthetic, how well thought out. Everytime he mentioned Dove, I had to admit that I remembered the damn advertisements, I knew the catch line.
Funny thing, I think he sold marketing to people who were not sold on it before.
Now everytime I see an ad I will find myself analysing it, checking its merits, and maybe even buying the product to show my appreciation to the copywriter. It is all very strange. But mind you, this does not mean that ALL adverts have any merit.
One afternoon my friend asked me to source for her a book on advertising called On Advertising. I found the book for her and on a whim (attracted by the beautiful pictures in the first few pages, good one David) bought a copy for myself.
Now I'm no student or fan of marketing or advertising or copywriting. In fact, my stance before this book, on people who worked with marketing, was positively negative. I thought that they were a whole bunch of immoral people duping everyone in to mass consumption, cashing on the insecurities of the public, and convincing people they needed stuff they didn't.
Yet, I liked the way David wrote. It was honest, casual, and it seemed like he agreed with me on poseurs too (would you rather hear a popular artist on the radio or a shakespeare play?). So based on vanity (read: I like how David agrees with me on a few points), and a liking for shiny stuff (read: wow, look at those photographs) I began reading it.
What I read changed my opinion on marketing completely. I was persuaded, sold, convinced, converted. However you put it. David's description of marketing, the literature involved in it, the research behind it, the psychology at play (in other words, the parts that made me abhor marketing when I was uninformed, curiously made me like it now that I was slightly informed.) made me find it to be a highly catching read. I finished it in one go, something I hadn't done in a while, and certainly not for a random book.
I know why I liked it. David made copy writers seem like authors, writers. (Huxley was a copywriter too he pointed out subtly). He elevated the occupation, pointing out subtly that excellence and success exist in marketing too. (Look at my beautiful castle, clearly I'm rich and have made some right decisions, he seemingly points out on one of the pages which has a photograph of a castle.)
He highlighted beautiful ads, and for the first time made me look at them not as things directed to dupe me, but as projects by people like me, who wanted to create something beautiful and impacting. He emphasised at how editorial everything was, how not baseless it was, how well researched (the good ones atleast) it was, how aesthetic, how well thought out. Everytime he mentioned Dove, I had to admit that I remembered the damn advertisements, I knew the catch line.
Funny thing, I think he sold marketing to people who were not sold on it before.
Now everytime I see an ad I will find myself analysing it, checking its merits, and maybe even buying the product to show my appreciation to the copywriter. It is all very strange. But mind you, this does not mean that ALL adverts have any merit.
November 2, 2007
If you want to have ANYTHING to do with advertising, you must read this book. If you want to have ANYTHING to do with graphic design, you must have something to do with advertising...
April 12, 2023
Highly informative and wonderfully written. Its full of personal anecdotes and glossy photos.
August 1, 2020
كتاب رائع بقلم ديفيد أوجيلفي (أبو الإعلانات) وعن نظرته ونصائحه فيما يخص الإعلانات وكذلك تجاربه في هذا المجال.
May 16, 2023
Anak ahensi kayaknya udah nggak asing lagi dengan nama Ogilvy. Sampai sekarang, kalau kerja di Ogilvy & Mather rasanya punya prestis sendiri. Aku pribadi belum tertarik buat nyemplung ke dunia periklanan sebab selama ini masih asik (sendiri) di bidang Marketing & Sales. Tapi itu bukan berarti aku nggak perlu buka wawasan.
Baca Ogilvy on Advertising cuma karena pengin tahu dan pengin belajar. Ternyata malah dapat yang lebih. Cerita tentang usaha David Ogilvy bisa sampai sebesar sekarang paling cuma 20%. Sisanya adalah "ajaran" yang telah ia praktikkan bertahun-tahun dan sekiranya masih bisa diterapkan pada zaman sekarang.
Aku cukup takjub bagaimana buku ini lumayan detil dalam menjelaskan sesuatu. Misalnya saja, ada bab khusus tentang bikin iklan untuk televisi, bikin iklan untuk media cetak, bagaimana menggaet klien, bagaimana mengerjakan permintaan klien dari luar negeri. Saking lubernya, aku mengira kalau buku ini semacam handbook (atau guidebook malah ya?) buat mereka yang kerja di Ogilvy & Mather.
Pertama kali terbit tahun 80an dan akhirnya dicetak ulang pada 2023 ini. Sebelum pendahuluan, ada catatan bahwa ada revisi minor untuk menyesuaikan pada konteks kekinian. Dan setelah aku baca sampai habis, rasanya memang apa yang dituangkan oleh David Ogilvy masih bisa dieksplorasi pada zaman sekarang.
Hal yang kusuka, Ogilvy nggak kebanyakan cerita yang nggak penting. Dia lebih banyak main bullet points dan subbab pendek. Buku ini juga nggak pakai banyak istilah teknis yang rumit.
Selain penjelasan, tips & trik, strategi, dan taktik, buku ini juga dilengkapi dengan contoh copy iklan yang pernah mereka kerjakan. Sayangnya, karena buku hitam putih, jadilah yang kelihatan cuma headlines aja.
Buatku, buku ini memberi pengetahuan baru. Minimal sebagai modal meminimalisir pertengkaran (kecil) antara anak Marketing dengan anak Copy hehe.
Baca Ogilvy on Advertising cuma karena pengin tahu dan pengin belajar. Ternyata malah dapat yang lebih. Cerita tentang usaha David Ogilvy bisa sampai sebesar sekarang paling cuma 20%. Sisanya adalah "ajaran" yang telah ia praktikkan bertahun-tahun dan sekiranya masih bisa diterapkan pada zaman sekarang.
Aku cukup takjub bagaimana buku ini lumayan detil dalam menjelaskan sesuatu. Misalnya saja, ada bab khusus tentang bikin iklan untuk televisi, bikin iklan untuk media cetak, bagaimana menggaet klien, bagaimana mengerjakan permintaan klien dari luar negeri. Saking lubernya, aku mengira kalau buku ini semacam handbook (atau guidebook malah ya?) buat mereka yang kerja di Ogilvy & Mather.
Pertama kali terbit tahun 80an dan akhirnya dicetak ulang pada 2023 ini. Sebelum pendahuluan, ada catatan bahwa ada revisi minor untuk menyesuaikan pada konteks kekinian. Dan setelah aku baca sampai habis, rasanya memang apa yang dituangkan oleh David Ogilvy masih bisa dieksplorasi pada zaman sekarang.
Hal yang kusuka, Ogilvy nggak kebanyakan cerita yang nggak penting. Dia lebih banyak main bullet points dan subbab pendek. Buku ini juga nggak pakai banyak istilah teknis yang rumit.
Selain penjelasan, tips & trik, strategi, dan taktik, buku ini juga dilengkapi dengan contoh copy iklan yang pernah mereka kerjakan. Sayangnya, karena buku hitam putih, jadilah yang kelihatan cuma headlines aja.
Buatku, buku ini memberi pengetahuan baru. Minimal sebagai modal meminimalisir pertengkaran (kecil) antara anak Marketing dengan anak Copy hehe.
April 12, 2016
I´m much more keen on propaganda than advertising nowadays. However, I enjoyed re-reading this book a lot. I had read this years ago for an introductory class on advertising. It´s required reading for any publicist since it develops fundamental concepts about the trade that David learned through experience and research.
The chapter on ´Competing with Procter & Gamble´ and the description of their methods was my favorite.
*********************************************
The 道 of ethics in advertising.
"If you and your competitors all make excellent products, don´t try to imply that your product is better. Just say what´s good about your product - and do a clearer, more honest, more informative job of saying it... This approach to advertising parity products does not insult the intelligence of consumers. Who can blame you for putting your best foot forward?"
*********************************************
Is this David´s?
The aesthetics of it reminded me of this scene of Pierrot le Fou (1965) Directed by Jean-Luc Godard: https://youtu.be/bZ5c3EY-lyQ
*********************************************
"Advertising which promises no benefit to the consumer does not sell, yet the majority of campaigns contain no promise whatever.(That is the most important sentence in this book. Read it again.)"
*********************************************
I watched several of the author´s interviews while reading this and he kept reminding me of Alan Watt´s lectures: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4jBd...
*********************************************
The chapter on ´Competing with Procter & Gamble´ and the description of their methods was my favorite.
*********************************************
The 道 of ethics in advertising.
"If you and your competitors all make excellent products, don´t try to imply that your product is better. Just say what´s good about your product - and do a clearer, more honest, more informative job of saying it... This approach to advertising parity products does not insult the intelligence of consumers. Who can blame you for putting your best foot forward?"
*********************************************
Is this David´s?
The aesthetics of it reminded me of this scene of Pierrot le Fou (1965) Directed by Jean-Luc Godard: https://youtu.be/bZ5c3EY-lyQ
*********************************************
"Advertising which promises no benefit to the consumer does not sell, yet the majority of campaigns contain no promise whatever.(That is the most important sentence in this book. Read it again.)"
*********************************************
I watched several of the author´s interviews while reading this and he kept reminding me of Alan Watt´s lectures: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4jBd...
*********************************************
November 25, 2010
If you've ever been interested in working at an ad agency, if you've ever worked at an ad agency, or if you ever had a strong affinity for the Mastercard Priceless (McCann Erickson) or the Got Milk campaign (Goodby Silverstein), you must read this book. Not only does David Ogilvy give great advice from inside the business, but he presents his wonderfully written copy with the best parts of a vintage Life magazine (the pictures). Ogilvy clearly states the best steps for breaking into the business, the best steps for business owners and how to advertise for various print and TV (however, this book was written in 1983 and lacks the most recent innovation of the internet).
Although Ogilvy makes his points clearly, there is a lot of repetition (specifically in the B2B chapter when compared to earlier sections). He consistently reinforces exactly how much he despises reverse type, the importance of newspaper layouts and the importance of truthful, purposeful copy. Yet he makes several confessions about his years in the business that prove that even the most amazing individuals are still human. Even David Ogilvy, the man who drove to work in his Roles Royce wearing his Sears suit, can still make ill informed decisions.
Recommended for everyone who has ever studied advertising, and even for those who enjoy catchy slogans and pretty pictures.
Although Ogilvy makes his points clearly, there is a lot of repetition (specifically in the B2B chapter when compared to earlier sections). He consistently reinforces exactly how much he despises reverse type, the importance of newspaper layouts and the importance of truthful, purposeful copy. Yet he makes several confessions about his years in the business that prove that even the most amazing individuals are still human. Even David Ogilvy, the man who drove to work in his Roles Royce wearing his Sears suit, can still make ill informed decisions.
Recommended for everyone who has ever studied advertising, and even for those who enjoy catchy slogans and pretty pictures.
July 10, 2020
Ogilvy on Advertising was published in the '80s, and it shows its age. This is because legendary ad-man David Ogilvy has predictions and opinions, most of which did not and will not ever come to pass. Apparently, print advertising is going to make a comeback, and people love reading long tracts of text. Most of the ads he references (whether by him or other firms) are hilariously out-of-date, and as you can imagine, they depict a world populated solely by white, cisgender, wealthy people. He's a little sexist (women make good managers because they're naturally inclined to babysit egos) and more than a little xenophobic when discussing advertising around the world. I will say he strives for broadmindedness at times although he can't escape being a relic in the 21st century.
Even still, Ogilvy shares some timeless pieces of advice that transcend Madison Avenue. He discusses positioning, engaging the creative brain (stuff it full of information and then turn off your mind), and how people select a brand to reflect their personality. It's not Mad Men, but it's an entertaining look into the world of Madison Avenue.
Even still, Ogilvy shares some timeless pieces of advice that transcend Madison Avenue. He discusses positioning, engaging the creative brain (stuff it full of information and then turn off your mind), and how people select a brand to reflect their personality. It's not Mad Men, but it's an entertaining look into the world of Madison Avenue.
October 27, 2020
The best book for everyone who belongs to Advertising Agencies or related field.
Read it as Bible of Advertising which covers almost all the departments from copy to designing to marketing and finance as well.
TAKE AWAYS
When I write an advertisement, I don’t want you to tell me that you find it ‘creative.’ I want you to find it so interesting that you buy the product.
The wrong advertising can actually reduce the sales of a product.
You don’t stand a tinker’s chance of producing successful advertising unless you start by doing your homework.
You now have to decide what ‘image’ you want for your brand. Image means personality. Products, like people, have personalities, and they can make or break them in the market place. The personality of a product is an amalgam of many things – its name, its packaging, its price, the style of its advertising, and, above all, the nature of the product itself
You can do homework from now until doomsday, but you will never win fame and fortune unless you also invent big ideas. It takes a big idea to attract the attention of consumers and get them to buy your product. Unless your advertising contains a big idea, it will pass like a ship in the night.
Big ideas come from the unconscious. This is true in art, in science and in advertising. But your unconscious has to be well informed, or your idea will be irrelevant. Stuff your conscious mind with information, then unhook your rational thought process. You can help this process by going for a long walk, or taking a hot bath, or drinking half a pint of claret. Suddenly, if the telephone line from your unconscious is open, a big idea wells up within you.
It will help you recognize a big idea if you ask yourself five questions: 1 Did it make me gasp when I first saw it? 2 Do I wish I had thought of it myself? 3 Is it unique? 4 Does it fit the strategy to perfection? 5 Could it be used for 30 years?
‘If you and your competitors all make excellent products, don’t try to imply that your product is better. Just say what’s good about your product – and do a clearer, more honest, more informative job of saying it.
You aren’t advertising to a standing army; you are advertising to a moving parade.
Leo Burnett said it better, ‘When you reach for the stars, you may not quite get one, but you won’t come up with a handful of mud either.’
Your advertising isn’t working and your sales are going down. And everything depends on it. Your future depends on it, your family’s future depends on it, other people’s families depend on it. And you walk in this office and talk to me, and you sit in that chair. Now, what do you want out of me? Fine writing? Do you want masterpieces? Do you want glowing things that can be framed by copywriters? Or do you want to see the goddamned sales curve stop moving down and start moving up?
‘if it doesn’t sell, it isn’t creative.’
Always tell your client what you would do if you were in his shoes, but don’t grudge him the prerogative of deciding what advertising to run. It is his product, his money, and ultimately his responsibility.
To get a job in the Research Department of a good agency, you probably need a degree in statistics or psychology. You also need an analytical mind, and the ability to write readable reports.
Said Winston Churchill, ‘PERFECTIONISM is spelled PARALYSIS.’
‘When people aren’t having any fun, they don’t produce good advertising.’
Don’t play politics. If you practice the fiendish art of divide et impera, your agency will go up in smoke.
The motivation which makes a man a good student is not the kind of motivation which makes him a good leader.
Great leaders are always fanatically committed to their jobs. They do not suffer from the crippling need to be universally loved. They have the guts to make unpopular decisions – including the guts to fire non-performers.
I do not believe that fear is a tool used by good leaders. People do their best work in a happy atmosphere.
Most of the great leaders I know have the ability to inspire people with their speeches. If you cannot write inspiring speeches yourself, use ghost-writers – but use good ones.
‘If your service is too generous, your clients will love you, but you will go broke.’
Never allow two people to do a job which one could do.
Never summon people to your office; it frightens them. Instead, go to see them in their offices, unannounced. A boss who never wanders about his agency becomes an invisible hermit.
‘If you are going to choose your agency on the basis of price, you are looking through the wrong end of the telescope. What you should worry about is not the price you pay for your agency’s services, but the selling power of your advertising.’
Tell your prospective client what your weak points are, before he notices them. This will make you more credible when you boast about your strong points.
If you boast about your genius for brilliant ideas, you run the risk that they will ask you why you don’t give them brilliant ideas.
The headlines which work best are those which promise the reader a benefit
‘Headlines of ten words sell more merchandise than short headlines.’
‘It is easier to write ten passably effective sonnets than one effective advertisement.’
Stay away from superlatives like ‘Our product is the best in the world.’ Gallup calls this Brag and Boast. It convinces nobody.
Always try to include the price of your products. You may see a necklace in a jeweler’s window, but you don’t consider buying it because the price is not shown and you are too shy to go in and ask. It is the same way with advertisements. When the price of the product is left out, people have a way of turning the page.
More people read the captions under illustrations than read the body copy, so never use an illustration without putting a caption under it. Your caption should include the brand name and the promise.
Advertising agencies usually set their headlines in capital letters. This is a mistake. Professor Tinker of Stanford has established that capitals retard reading. They have no ascenders or descenders to help you recognize words, and tend to be read letter by letter.
Layouts should be simple, avoiding the arty devices dear to second-rate art directors – like type which is too big to be readable, eccentric designs and headlines at the bottom of the page. If you make your ads look like editorial pages, you will get more readers.
Headlines get five times the readership of the body copy. If your headline doesn’t sell, you have wasted your money. Your headline should promise a benefit, or deliver news, or offer a service, or tell a significant story, or recognize a problem, or quote a satisfied customer.
According to Professor Hall, the most successful commodity products differentiated themselves in one of two ways: either by low cost or by having the best reputation for quality or service.
Winston Churchill said, ‘Short words are best, and the old words when short are best of all.’ This applies in spades to mail order copy.
‘The more people trust you, the more they buy from you.’
Remember, there is no correlation between the size of your audience and the number of orders you receive.
If you want to know more about direct response, start by reading Successful Direct Marketing Methods by Bob Stone, published by Crain Books in Chicago.
‘The key to successful marketing is superior product performance…. If the consumer does not perceive any real benefits in the brand, then no amount of ingenious advertising and selling can save it.’
Advertising which promises no benefit to the consumer does not sell, yet the majority of campaigns contain no promise whatever.
Sometimes you will find that the promise which wins your test is already being used by one of your competitors. Poor you.
‘We are no longer allowed to tell children to importune their mothers to buy our products.’
Most marketers spend too much time worrying about how to revive products which are in trouble, and too little time worrying about how to make successful products even more successful. It is the mark of a brave man to admit defeat, cut his loss, and move on.
‘Sales are a function of product-value and advertising. Promotions cannot produce more than a temporary kink in the sales curve.’
It is usually assumed that marketers use scientific methods to determine the price of their products. Nothing could be further from the truth. In almost every case, the process of decision is one of guesswork.
If you stop advertising a brand which is still in its introductory phase, you will probably kill it – for ever. Studies of the last six recessions have demonstrated that companies which do not cut back their advertising budgets achieve greater increases in profit than companies which do cut back.
‘The codfish lays ten thousand eggs, The homely hen lays one. The codfish never cackles To tell you what she’s done – And so we scorn the codfish While the humble hen we prize. It only goes to show you That it pays to advertise!’
The secret of his success was his ability to attract exceptionally able men, and to treat them with so much respect that they never left.
J. Walter Thompson – a psychologist, an economist, and a historian. He used to say that his agency was the ‘university’ of advertising.
Rubicam used to say, ‘The way we sell is to get read first.’
‘Advertising has a responsibility to behave properly. I proved that you can sell products without bamboozling the American public.’
the creative process can be summed up in three things he said: 1 ‘There is an inherent drama in every product. Our No. 1 job is to dig for it and capitalize on it.’ 2 ‘When you reach for the stars, you may not quite get one, but you won’t come up with a handful of mud either’ 3 ‘Steep yourself in your subject, work like hell, and love, honor and obey your hunches.’
Hopkins was interested in nothing but advertising. There is macabre pathos in the last sentence of his autobiography: ‘The happiest are those who live closest to nature, an essential to advertising success.’
‘Human nature hasn’t changed for a billion years. It won’t even vary in the next billion years. Only superficial things have changed. It is fashionable to talk about changing men.
‘Advertising is not the noblest creation of man’s mind, as so many of its advocates would like the public to think. It does not, single-handedly, sustain the whole structure of capitalism and democracy and the Free World. It is just as nonsensical to suggest that we are superhuman as to accept the indictment that we are subhuman. We are merely human, trying to do a necessary human job with dignity, with decency and with competence.’
‘There is one category of advertising which is totally uncontrolled and flagrantly dishonest: the television commercials for candidates in Presidential elections.’
Dishonest advertising is as evil as stuffing the ballot box. Perhaps the advertising people who have allowed their talents to be prostituted for this villainy are too naive to understand the complexity of the issues.
The best way to increase the sale of a product is to improve the product.
Read it as Bible of Advertising which covers almost all the departments from copy to designing to marketing and finance as well.
TAKE AWAYS
When I write an advertisement, I don’t want you to tell me that you find it ‘creative.’ I want you to find it so interesting that you buy the product.
The wrong advertising can actually reduce the sales of a product.
You don’t stand a tinker’s chance of producing successful advertising unless you start by doing your homework.
You now have to decide what ‘image’ you want for your brand. Image means personality. Products, like people, have personalities, and they can make or break them in the market place. The personality of a product is an amalgam of many things – its name, its packaging, its price, the style of its advertising, and, above all, the nature of the product itself
You can do homework from now until doomsday, but you will never win fame and fortune unless you also invent big ideas. It takes a big idea to attract the attention of consumers and get them to buy your product. Unless your advertising contains a big idea, it will pass like a ship in the night.
Big ideas come from the unconscious. This is true in art, in science and in advertising. But your unconscious has to be well informed, or your idea will be irrelevant. Stuff your conscious mind with information, then unhook your rational thought process. You can help this process by going for a long walk, or taking a hot bath, or drinking half a pint of claret. Suddenly, if the telephone line from your unconscious is open, a big idea wells up within you.
It will help you recognize a big idea if you ask yourself five questions: 1 Did it make me gasp when I first saw it? 2 Do I wish I had thought of it myself? 3 Is it unique? 4 Does it fit the strategy to perfection? 5 Could it be used for 30 years?
‘If you and your competitors all make excellent products, don’t try to imply that your product is better. Just say what’s good about your product – and do a clearer, more honest, more informative job of saying it.
You aren’t advertising to a standing army; you are advertising to a moving parade.
Leo Burnett said it better, ‘When you reach for the stars, you may not quite get one, but you won’t come up with a handful of mud either.’
Your advertising isn’t working and your sales are going down. And everything depends on it. Your future depends on it, your family’s future depends on it, other people’s families depend on it. And you walk in this office and talk to me, and you sit in that chair. Now, what do you want out of me? Fine writing? Do you want masterpieces? Do you want glowing things that can be framed by copywriters? Or do you want to see the goddamned sales curve stop moving down and start moving up?
‘if it doesn’t sell, it isn’t creative.’
Always tell your client what you would do if you were in his shoes, but don’t grudge him the prerogative of deciding what advertising to run. It is his product, his money, and ultimately his responsibility.
To get a job in the Research Department of a good agency, you probably need a degree in statistics or psychology. You also need an analytical mind, and the ability to write readable reports.
Said Winston Churchill, ‘PERFECTIONISM is spelled PARALYSIS.’
‘When people aren’t having any fun, they don’t produce good advertising.’
Don’t play politics. If you practice the fiendish art of divide et impera, your agency will go up in smoke.
The motivation which makes a man a good student is not the kind of motivation which makes him a good leader.
Great leaders are always fanatically committed to their jobs. They do not suffer from the crippling need to be universally loved. They have the guts to make unpopular decisions – including the guts to fire non-performers.
I do not believe that fear is a tool used by good leaders. People do their best work in a happy atmosphere.
Most of the great leaders I know have the ability to inspire people with their speeches. If you cannot write inspiring speeches yourself, use ghost-writers – but use good ones.
‘If your service is too generous, your clients will love you, but you will go broke.’
Never allow two people to do a job which one could do.
Never summon people to your office; it frightens them. Instead, go to see them in their offices, unannounced. A boss who never wanders about his agency becomes an invisible hermit.
‘If you are going to choose your agency on the basis of price, you are looking through the wrong end of the telescope. What you should worry about is not the price you pay for your agency’s services, but the selling power of your advertising.’
Tell your prospective client what your weak points are, before he notices them. This will make you more credible when you boast about your strong points.
If you boast about your genius for brilliant ideas, you run the risk that they will ask you why you don’t give them brilliant ideas.
The headlines which work best are those which promise the reader a benefit
‘Headlines of ten words sell more merchandise than short headlines.’
‘It is easier to write ten passably effective sonnets than one effective advertisement.’
Stay away from superlatives like ‘Our product is the best in the world.’ Gallup calls this Brag and Boast. It convinces nobody.
Always try to include the price of your products. You may see a necklace in a jeweler’s window, but you don’t consider buying it because the price is not shown and you are too shy to go in and ask. It is the same way with advertisements. When the price of the product is left out, people have a way of turning the page.
More people read the captions under illustrations than read the body copy, so never use an illustration without putting a caption under it. Your caption should include the brand name and the promise.
Advertising agencies usually set their headlines in capital letters. This is a mistake. Professor Tinker of Stanford has established that capitals retard reading. They have no ascenders or descenders to help you recognize words, and tend to be read letter by letter.
Layouts should be simple, avoiding the arty devices dear to second-rate art directors – like type which is too big to be readable, eccentric designs and headlines at the bottom of the page. If you make your ads look like editorial pages, you will get more readers.
Headlines get five times the readership of the body copy. If your headline doesn’t sell, you have wasted your money. Your headline should promise a benefit, or deliver news, or offer a service, or tell a significant story, or recognize a problem, or quote a satisfied customer.
According to Professor Hall, the most successful commodity products differentiated themselves in one of two ways: either by low cost or by having the best reputation for quality or service.
Winston Churchill said, ‘Short words are best, and the old words when short are best of all.’ This applies in spades to mail order copy.
‘The more people trust you, the more they buy from you.’
Remember, there is no correlation between the size of your audience and the number of orders you receive.
If you want to know more about direct response, start by reading Successful Direct Marketing Methods by Bob Stone, published by Crain Books in Chicago.
‘The key to successful marketing is superior product performance…. If the consumer does not perceive any real benefits in the brand, then no amount of ingenious advertising and selling can save it.’
Advertising which promises no benefit to the consumer does not sell, yet the majority of campaigns contain no promise whatever.
Sometimes you will find that the promise which wins your test is already being used by one of your competitors. Poor you.
‘We are no longer allowed to tell children to importune their mothers to buy our products.’
Most marketers spend too much time worrying about how to revive products which are in trouble, and too little time worrying about how to make successful products even more successful. It is the mark of a brave man to admit defeat, cut his loss, and move on.
‘Sales are a function of product-value and advertising. Promotions cannot produce more than a temporary kink in the sales curve.’
It is usually assumed that marketers use scientific methods to determine the price of their products. Nothing could be further from the truth. In almost every case, the process of decision is one of guesswork.
If you stop advertising a brand which is still in its introductory phase, you will probably kill it – for ever. Studies of the last six recessions have demonstrated that companies which do not cut back their advertising budgets achieve greater increases in profit than companies which do cut back.
‘The codfish lays ten thousand eggs, The homely hen lays one. The codfish never cackles To tell you what she’s done – And so we scorn the codfish While the humble hen we prize. It only goes to show you That it pays to advertise!’
The secret of his success was his ability to attract exceptionally able men, and to treat them with so much respect that they never left.
J. Walter Thompson – a psychologist, an economist, and a historian. He used to say that his agency was the ‘university’ of advertising.
Rubicam used to say, ‘The way we sell is to get read first.’
‘Advertising has a responsibility to behave properly. I proved that you can sell products without bamboozling the American public.’
the creative process can be summed up in three things he said: 1 ‘There is an inherent drama in every product. Our No. 1 job is to dig for it and capitalize on it.’ 2 ‘When you reach for the stars, you may not quite get one, but you won’t come up with a handful of mud either’ 3 ‘Steep yourself in your subject, work like hell, and love, honor and obey your hunches.’
Hopkins was interested in nothing but advertising. There is macabre pathos in the last sentence of his autobiography: ‘The happiest are those who live closest to nature, an essential to advertising success.’
‘Human nature hasn’t changed for a billion years. It won’t even vary in the next billion years. Only superficial things have changed. It is fashionable to talk about changing men.
‘Advertising is not the noblest creation of man’s mind, as so many of its advocates would like the public to think. It does not, single-handedly, sustain the whole structure of capitalism and democracy and the Free World. It is just as nonsensical to suggest that we are superhuman as to accept the indictment that we are subhuman. We are merely human, trying to do a necessary human job with dignity, with decency and with competence.’
‘There is one category of advertising which is totally uncontrolled and flagrantly dishonest: the television commercials for candidates in Presidential elections.’
Dishonest advertising is as evil as stuffing the ballot box. Perhaps the advertising people who have allowed their talents to be prostituted for this villainy are too naive to understand the complexity of the issues.
The best way to increase the sale of a product is to improve the product.
February 15, 2025
This book shows that learning from the late greats and looking at your profession's history is beneficial. I often spent 30 minutes before a workday sipping coffee and getting inspired by the teachings. While some information is outdated, many of the principles are timeless.
Key Takeaways:
> When selling something nearly identical to many other products in the market, all you can hope to do is explain the virtues more persuasively than your competitors and differentiate them by your advertising style. There is no need to compare and explain why you are "better". Just explain why you are "good."
> Committees can criticize, but they cannot create. Do your homework, avoid committees, and learn from research.
> "Chess is about as elaborate a waste of human intelligence as you could find anywhere outside an advertising agency." - If advertising is a waste of intelligence, it isn't a very serious one.
> Don't get a job in advertising unless it interests you more than anything in the world. There are easier ways to get rich.
> When people aren't having any fun, they don't produce good advertising. Get rid of sad dogs who spread gloom.
> Good executives are like father figures. Be understanding, considerate, and human enough to be affectionate. The best fathers are nurturing rather than controlling.
> Never hire friends, client's children, or your children. Ambitious people won't stay in companies that practice nepotism.
> Insist your people arrive on time, even if you pay a bonus to do so.
> Insist due dates are kept, even if it means late nights or weekends. Hard work never killed a man. People die of boredom and disease. Hard work can enliven morale - provided you are all a part of the push. Never leave the bridge in a storm.
> The best leaders had a strong unorthodox component in their character. They symbolize innovation. They exude self-confidence. They are never petty.
> Great leaders are always fanatically committed to their jobs. They do not suffer from the need to be universally loved. They have the guts to make unpopular decisions. They are decisive. They satisfy the psychological needs of their followers. They inspire people with speeches.
> "The leader must have infectious optimism and the determination to persevere in the face of difficulties. He must radiate confidence even when he himself is not too certain of the outcome. The final test of a leader is the feeling you have when you leave his presence after a conference. Do you feel uplifted and confident?
> Never allow two people to do a job that one could do.
> Never summon people to your office; it frightens them. Instead, go see them in their offices unannounced. A boss who never wanders about his agency becomes an invisible hermit.
> The easiest way to get new clients is to do good advertising.
> On new biz meetings - Don't sit clients and agency on either side of a table. Mix people up. Rehearse but never read the slides word for word. Listen. The more you get the prospective client to talk the easier it will be to gauge if you want them as a client. The day after the pitch send a three page letter outlining why they should pick you.
> On new biz in general - Never pay commission to an outsider who offers you new biz. Avoid clients whose ethos is incompatible with yours. Beware of ventures which spend little or nothing today but might become big, if all goes well. Servicing such non-accounts can be expensive, and few will make it.
> Erosion of morale does unacceptable damage to an agency.
> You must do different types of advertising if you want to go after a wide variety of industries.
> The bigger an agency grows, the more bureaucratic it becomes.
> Creativity is not a function of size. Small can be beautiful.
> As a client - Avoid committees. Pay what the agency charges - don't haggle. It will result in worse work. Once a year, give your agency a formal report on its performance. Don't strain your agency to go through more than two levels. Criticize work gently.
> Headlines - unless it's sold your product, you've wasted 90 percent of your money. The headlines which work best offer a benefit or tell news. If the audience is a small group, call them out in the headline "asthma, etc."
> The best photos are those which arouse curiosity.
> Testimonials from celebrities get a high recall, but readers remember the celebrity, not the product. They assume the celeb has been bought, which is usually the case. Testimonials from experts can be persuasive, like having an ex-burglar testify he had never been able to crash a Chubb safe.
> Good typography helps people read your copy. Bad typography prevents them from doing so. Advertising doesn't sell if nobody can read it.
> Humor, slice of life, and testimonials are all above-average ideas. Testimonials by celebs, cartoons, and musical vignettes are all below average.
> Make your commercials crystal clear if you want them to be understood.
> The easiest way to cut production costs is to remove talent.
> "With public opinion on its side, nothing can fail. With public opinion against it, nothing can succeed."
> Very few believe what corporations say. They see them as foolish, greedy, or even criminal. Remember this as the starting point for your voice when working on blue chip accounts.
> Make things as simple as possible without insulting people's intelligence. Present your case in terms of the audience's self-interest.
> When advertising unknown or high-end products, services, or places, start with a lot of information.
> Make sure your promises are important to your audience. Make this promise specific.
> Advertising is too valuable an instrument to be wasted only on commercial products. It justifies its existence only when it is used for social purposes.
> P&G Strategies - Never enter small categories unless they expect them to grow, and they set out to dominate every category they enter. Build huge volume to achieve low manufacturing costs and higher profit marginse (or lower prices). Often enter more than one brand into a category and allow each brand to compete with its sibling. Study the consumer and culture. Focus on superior products. They'd rather be right than first to market. Spent a lot of time researching strategy - but don't often change once aligned. Most all commercials include a moment of confirmation (someone using their products for payoff). They believe the first duty of advertising is to communicate effectively, not be original or entertaining. Rarely use celebs. Non-stop advertising.
> Advertising that promises no benefit to the consumer does not sell, yet the majority of companies contain no promise.
> Try to find a brand promise that is not only persuasive but also unique.
> Research can tell you whether you're communicating what you intend. "When you say something, make sure you have said it. Chances of you having said it are only fair."
> Research can be a good tool to settle arguments.
> Research cannot answer which campaign will make the biggest contribution to our brand over years. Here, you still have to rely on judgment.
> Consumers often judge the quality of product by its price. The higher price, the more desirable it becomes.
> You can judge the vitality of a company by the number of new products it brings to market.
> Sometimes products fail because they are too new. They might succeed in 10 years.
> Naming your products - Look at names of men and women. Meaningless names can take time and money to provide sales appeal. Descriptive names can start with sales appeal but are often too specific for line extensions.
> It has become prohibitively expensive to launch brands aimed at a dominant share of the market. Even manufacturers with the biggest budgets find it more profitable to aim for new brands in narrower markets.
> Focus on your successful products, not problem children.
> Promotions cannot produce more than a temporary kink in sales.
> If you stop advertising a brand which is still in its introduction phase, you will probably kill it.
> Keep your eye glued to the heavy users. They are unlike occasional users.
> Consumers don't buy just one brand of product. They have a list of 4-5 they move between. They almost never buy a brand that has not been added to their list during its first year on the market. Thus, launch advertising is a matter of life and death.
> Consumers mostly ignore advertising for brands they aren't already using.
> The task of advertising is not primarily one of conversion but rather reinforcement and assurance.
> The likeness of the giants - A sense of detail with a gift for grasping the big picture. Gift for predicting consumer reaction. Ability to work long and hard (15-hour days). Wanting to show what can be done with the brain vs. make money. Perfectionist (the client remembers an outstanding job years after he has forgotten that it was two months late).
> "In advertising, the beginning of greatness is to be different, and the beginning of failure is to be the same."
> "There is an inherent drama in every product. Our No. 1 job is to dig for it and capitalize on it."
> "When you reach for the stars, you may not quite get one, but you won't come up with a handful of mud either."
> "Steep yourself in your subject, work like hell, and love, honor, and obey your hunches."
> "Looking back over our greatest achievements, I recall that few of them were generated in an atmosphere of sweetness, light, and enthusiasm, but rather one of dynamic tension, complicated by off-stage muttering."
> "Ad writers forget they are salesmen and try to be performers. Instead of sales, they seek applause."
> The creative man with an insight into human nature, with the artistry to touch and move people, will succeed. Without them, he will fail.
> Advertising is no more and no less than a reasonably efficient way to sell.
> Say no to political clients.
> Advertising can only sell bad products once.
> Customers are more interested in facts than we think.
Key Takeaways:
> When selling something nearly identical to many other products in the market, all you can hope to do is explain the virtues more persuasively than your competitors and differentiate them by your advertising style. There is no need to compare and explain why you are "better". Just explain why you are "good."
> Committees can criticize, but they cannot create. Do your homework, avoid committees, and learn from research.
> "Chess is about as elaborate a waste of human intelligence as you could find anywhere outside an advertising agency." - If advertising is a waste of intelligence, it isn't a very serious one.
> Don't get a job in advertising unless it interests you more than anything in the world. There are easier ways to get rich.
> When people aren't having any fun, they don't produce good advertising. Get rid of sad dogs who spread gloom.
> Good executives are like father figures. Be understanding, considerate, and human enough to be affectionate. The best fathers are nurturing rather than controlling.
> Never hire friends, client's children, or your children. Ambitious people won't stay in companies that practice nepotism.
> Insist your people arrive on time, even if you pay a bonus to do so.
> Insist due dates are kept, even if it means late nights or weekends. Hard work never killed a man. People die of boredom and disease. Hard work can enliven morale - provided you are all a part of the push. Never leave the bridge in a storm.
> The best leaders had a strong unorthodox component in their character. They symbolize innovation. They exude self-confidence. They are never petty.
> Great leaders are always fanatically committed to their jobs. They do not suffer from the need to be universally loved. They have the guts to make unpopular decisions. They are decisive. They satisfy the psychological needs of their followers. They inspire people with speeches.
> "The leader must have infectious optimism and the determination to persevere in the face of difficulties. He must radiate confidence even when he himself is not too certain of the outcome. The final test of a leader is the feeling you have when you leave his presence after a conference. Do you feel uplifted and confident?
> Never allow two people to do a job that one could do.
> Never summon people to your office; it frightens them. Instead, go see them in their offices unannounced. A boss who never wanders about his agency becomes an invisible hermit.
> The easiest way to get new clients is to do good advertising.
> On new biz meetings - Don't sit clients and agency on either side of a table. Mix people up. Rehearse but never read the slides word for word. Listen. The more you get the prospective client to talk the easier it will be to gauge if you want them as a client. The day after the pitch send a three page letter outlining why they should pick you.
> On new biz in general - Never pay commission to an outsider who offers you new biz. Avoid clients whose ethos is incompatible with yours. Beware of ventures which spend little or nothing today but might become big, if all goes well. Servicing such non-accounts can be expensive, and few will make it.
> Erosion of morale does unacceptable damage to an agency.
> You must do different types of advertising if you want to go after a wide variety of industries.
> The bigger an agency grows, the more bureaucratic it becomes.
> Creativity is not a function of size. Small can be beautiful.
> As a client - Avoid committees. Pay what the agency charges - don't haggle. It will result in worse work. Once a year, give your agency a formal report on its performance. Don't strain your agency to go through more than two levels. Criticize work gently.
> Headlines - unless it's sold your product, you've wasted 90 percent of your money. The headlines which work best offer a benefit or tell news. If the audience is a small group, call them out in the headline "asthma, etc."
> The best photos are those which arouse curiosity.
> Testimonials from celebrities get a high recall, but readers remember the celebrity, not the product. They assume the celeb has been bought, which is usually the case. Testimonials from experts can be persuasive, like having an ex-burglar testify he had never been able to crash a Chubb safe.
> Good typography helps people read your copy. Bad typography prevents them from doing so. Advertising doesn't sell if nobody can read it.
> Humor, slice of life, and testimonials are all above-average ideas. Testimonials by celebs, cartoons, and musical vignettes are all below average.
> Make your commercials crystal clear if you want them to be understood.
> The easiest way to cut production costs is to remove talent.
> "With public opinion on its side, nothing can fail. With public opinion against it, nothing can succeed."
> Very few believe what corporations say. They see them as foolish, greedy, or even criminal. Remember this as the starting point for your voice when working on blue chip accounts.
> Make things as simple as possible without insulting people's intelligence. Present your case in terms of the audience's self-interest.
> When advertising unknown or high-end products, services, or places, start with a lot of information.
> Make sure your promises are important to your audience. Make this promise specific.
> Advertising is too valuable an instrument to be wasted only on commercial products. It justifies its existence only when it is used for social purposes.
> P&G Strategies - Never enter small categories unless they expect them to grow, and they set out to dominate every category they enter. Build huge volume to achieve low manufacturing costs and higher profit marginse (or lower prices). Often enter more than one brand into a category and allow each brand to compete with its sibling. Study the consumer and culture. Focus on superior products. They'd rather be right than first to market. Spent a lot of time researching strategy - but don't often change once aligned. Most all commercials include a moment of confirmation (someone using their products for payoff). They believe the first duty of advertising is to communicate effectively, not be original or entertaining. Rarely use celebs. Non-stop advertising.
> Advertising that promises no benefit to the consumer does not sell, yet the majority of companies contain no promise.
> Try to find a brand promise that is not only persuasive but also unique.
> Research can tell you whether you're communicating what you intend. "When you say something, make sure you have said it. Chances of you having said it are only fair."
> Research can be a good tool to settle arguments.
> Research cannot answer which campaign will make the biggest contribution to our brand over years. Here, you still have to rely on judgment.
> Consumers often judge the quality of product by its price. The higher price, the more desirable it becomes.
> You can judge the vitality of a company by the number of new products it brings to market.
> Sometimes products fail because they are too new. They might succeed in 10 years.
> Naming your products - Look at names of men and women. Meaningless names can take time and money to provide sales appeal. Descriptive names can start with sales appeal but are often too specific for line extensions.
> It has become prohibitively expensive to launch brands aimed at a dominant share of the market. Even manufacturers with the biggest budgets find it more profitable to aim for new brands in narrower markets.
> Focus on your successful products, not problem children.
> Promotions cannot produce more than a temporary kink in sales.
> If you stop advertising a brand which is still in its introduction phase, you will probably kill it.
> Keep your eye glued to the heavy users. They are unlike occasional users.
> Consumers don't buy just one brand of product. They have a list of 4-5 they move between. They almost never buy a brand that has not been added to their list during its first year on the market. Thus, launch advertising is a matter of life and death.
> Consumers mostly ignore advertising for brands they aren't already using.
> The task of advertising is not primarily one of conversion but rather reinforcement and assurance.
> The likeness of the giants - A sense of detail with a gift for grasping the big picture. Gift for predicting consumer reaction. Ability to work long and hard (15-hour days). Wanting to show what can be done with the brain vs. make money. Perfectionist (the client remembers an outstanding job years after he has forgotten that it was two months late).
> "In advertising, the beginning of greatness is to be different, and the beginning of failure is to be the same."
> "There is an inherent drama in every product. Our No. 1 job is to dig for it and capitalize on it."
> "When you reach for the stars, you may not quite get one, but you won't come up with a handful of mud either."
> "Steep yourself in your subject, work like hell, and love, honor, and obey your hunches."
> "Looking back over our greatest achievements, I recall that few of them were generated in an atmosphere of sweetness, light, and enthusiasm, but rather one of dynamic tension, complicated by off-stage muttering."
> "Ad writers forget they are salesmen and try to be performers. Instead of sales, they seek applause."
> The creative man with an insight into human nature, with the artistry to touch and move people, will succeed. Without them, he will fail.
> Advertising is no more and no less than a reasonably efficient way to sell.
> Say no to political clients.
> Advertising can only sell bad products once.
> Customers are more interested in facts than we think.
November 21, 2023
When I write an advertisement, I don’t want you to tell me that you find it ‘creative.’ I want you to find it so interesting that you buy the product. When Aeschines spoke, they said, ‘How well he speaks.’ But when Demosthenes spoke, they said, ‘Let us march against Philip.’
A discourse on advertising by the master of advertising, David Ogilvy himself.
I had wished to read the story behind Ogilvy and Mather (for which I should read 'Confessions of an advertising man' by the same author) and chosen this book, however it is an overall discourse on advertising which touches all the touchpoints for people in the business of Print Media, and has some very good relevance points with visuals and design in general.
The book serves as an act of zooming out and looking at advertising from a universal frame. It is very interesting and draws lots of references and examples along with sharp wit and humourous anecdotes.
A discourse on advertising by the master of advertising, David Ogilvy himself.
I had wished to read the story behind Ogilvy and Mather (for which I should read 'Confessions of an advertising man' by the same author) and chosen this book, however it is an overall discourse on advertising which touches all the touchpoints for people in the business of Print Media, and has some very good relevance points with visuals and design in general.
The book serves as an act of zooming out and looking at advertising from a universal frame. It is very interesting and draws lots of references and examples along with sharp wit and humourous anecdotes.
July 21, 2023
Engrossing book inundated with profound insights augmented with Ogilvy’s wry sense of humour, practicality and years of unparalleled knowledge garnered through his experience on this subject!
April 29, 2025
I don’t say this lightly, “Ogilvy on Advertising” might be the most important book I’ll ever read. I’m on a bit of a tear right now with marketing books to better understand my role as part of the sales process as a product manager. I’ve liked a lot of them (purple cow for instance) but this blew my socks off. To the point where I actually think I’ve been approaching building and shipping products wrong for twenty years.
A few quick notes from the book.
copy:
5x more eyes on headlines than any other copy in the ad.
Answer the question, What’s the benefit?
Include the brand name!
Audience keywords, what word does your customer see and think “this is for me”
Try to keep to 10 words
Speak as local you can (town, state, etc)
Before and after pitches work great.
“Dishes not ingredients”
Testimonials work, especially experts
Include the price if you can
Long copy works, “the more facts you tell the more you sell”
Fonts: century, Caslon, Baskerville, Henson. Never sanserif. Most serif are good.
Black on white. Always works.
11pt or so is just right.
Humor is high risk high reward, people don’t buy from clowns
In JTBD speak, showing “The switch” moment between two people is highly effective.
Testimonials with loyal users especially when they don’t know being filmed or an ad.
Demonstrations can be effective.
Never mention competitors.
Solve the problem. Show the problem. Show how you fix it.
Be careful with celebrities. The consumer will remember them not you.
Generally not great to say why your product is better.
First frame of a video needs to be 🔥
1977 quote from head of proctor and gamble new products, “the most expensive part of product development is the free samples at the beginning.”
“Advertising is salesmanship in print”
“The way we sell is to get read first.”
“People remember an outstanding job well done for years after he has forgotten that it was two months late.”
“The beginning of greatness is to be different. The beginning o failure is to be the same.
Leo Burnett (Marlboro man) - “I have always been naively guided by the principle that if we do not believe in the products we advertise strongly enough to use them ourselves, we are not completely honest without ourselves in advertising them to others.”
Claude Hopkins “almost any question can be answered cheaply quickly and finally by a test campaign, and that’s how you should answer them. Not by arguments around a table”
Bill bernbach - “how will advertising change in the next decade? Human nature hasn’t changed for a billion years. It won’t even vary in the next billion years. Only superficial things have changed. It is fashionable to talk about changing man. A communicator must be concerned with unchanging man - what compulsions drive him, what instincts dominate his every action, even though his langue too often camouflages what really motivates him. For if you know these things about a man, you can touch him at the core of his being. One thing is unchangingly sure. The creative man with an insight into human nature, with the artistry to touch and move people, will succeed. Without them, he will fail.”
Beautiful end to the book, in defense of his line of work, “my children were grateful when I wrote an advertisement which recovered their lost dog Teddy”
A few quick notes from the book.
copy:
5x more eyes on headlines than any other copy in the ad.
Answer the question, What’s the benefit?
Include the brand name!
Audience keywords, what word does your customer see and think “this is for me”
Try to keep to 10 words
Speak as local you can (town, state, etc)
Before and after pitches work great.
“Dishes not ingredients”
Testimonials work, especially experts
Include the price if you can
Long copy works, “the more facts you tell the more you sell”
Fonts: century, Caslon, Baskerville, Henson. Never sanserif. Most serif are good.
Black on white. Always works.
11pt or so is just right.
Humor is high risk high reward, people don’t buy from clowns
In JTBD speak, showing “The switch” moment between two people is highly effective.
Testimonials with loyal users especially when they don’t know being filmed or an ad.
Demonstrations can be effective.
Never mention competitors.
Solve the problem. Show the problem. Show how you fix it.
Be careful with celebrities. The consumer will remember them not you.
Generally not great to say why your product is better.
First frame of a video needs to be 🔥
1977 quote from head of proctor and gamble new products, “the most expensive part of product development is the free samples at the beginning.”
“Advertising is salesmanship in print”
“The way we sell is to get read first.”
“People remember an outstanding job well done for years after he has forgotten that it was two months late.”
“The beginning of greatness is to be different. The beginning o failure is to be the same.
Leo Burnett (Marlboro man) - “I have always been naively guided by the principle that if we do not believe in the products we advertise strongly enough to use them ourselves, we are not completely honest without ourselves in advertising them to others.”
Claude Hopkins “almost any question can be answered cheaply quickly and finally by a test campaign, and that’s how you should answer them. Not by arguments around a table”
Bill bernbach - “how will advertising change in the next decade? Human nature hasn’t changed for a billion years. It won’t even vary in the next billion years. Only superficial things have changed. It is fashionable to talk about changing man. A communicator must be concerned with unchanging man - what compulsions drive him, what instincts dominate his every action, even though his langue too often camouflages what really motivates him. For if you know these things about a man, you can touch him at the core of his being. One thing is unchangingly sure. The creative man with an insight into human nature, with the artistry to touch and move people, will succeed. Without them, he will fail.”
Beautiful end to the book, in defense of his line of work, “my children were grateful when I wrote an advertisement which recovered their lost dog Teddy”
February 11, 2021
هو الشغل في الإعلانات كله خفة دم وروشنة؟
ده الإنطباع الغلط اللي أغلب الناس بتاخده عن المجال ده. واللي اتأكدت انه غلط بعد ما قريت كتاب Ogilvy on Advertising اللي كتبه أوجيلفي في نهاية حياته المهنية وبينقل فيه خلاصة تجربته ك كوبي رايتر كان شغله علامة فارقة في تاريخ أكبر العلامات التجارية.
برغم ان تجربة أوجيلفي كانت في زمن صناعة الإعلانات فيه كانت مختلفة بشكل كبير جدا عن دلوقتي، بس التجربة ملهمة وتقريبا أغلب (الدروس المستفادة) والنصايح اللي قالها ملهمة جدا ومناسبة لأى حد بيتشغل في المجال ده حاليا.
عن نفسي كنت بحاول أطبق حاجات كتير من نصايحة في شغلي والموضوع ده كان بيفتحلي سكك جديدة فرقت معايا بشكل كبير.
من أكتر الحاجات اللي عجبتني هى رأى أوجيلفي ان أهم مهارة للكوبي رايتر الشاطر واللي هتميز شغله عن أى حد هى انه يكون فاهم الناس بتفكر ازاى وبتاخد قرارها ازاى. وبيعرف يعمل ريسيرش كويس ويطلع بنتايج تقدر تعلي شغله.
من الآخر يكون بيعرف يطلع ب insights صايعة.
خفة الدم والكتابة الكويسة هم الكريزة اللي فوق التورتة، لكن لوحدهم من غير مذاكرة وشغل كتير مش هيوصلوا صاحبهم لحاجة.
أضعف جزء بالنسبالي هو دفاعه عن أخلاقية الشغل في الإعلانات. عدد من الحجج اللي قدمها كان ضعيف جدا. بس يحسبله طبعا انه كان بينصح عملاؤه يستغنوا عن إعلانات الbillboards بعد ما أثبت انها بتزود نسبة الحوادث.
كتاب جميل هيفيد أى حد مهتم بالإعلانات. بس حاول تقراه بالراحة وتفكر ازاى تطبقه على الوقت الحالي.
ده الإنطباع الغلط اللي أغلب الناس بتاخده عن المجال ده. واللي اتأكدت انه غلط بعد ما قريت كتاب Ogilvy on Advertising اللي كتبه أوجيلفي في نهاية حياته المهنية وبينقل فيه خلاصة تجربته ك كوبي رايتر كان شغله علامة فارقة في تاريخ أكبر العلامات التجارية.
برغم ان تجربة أوجيلفي كانت في زمن صناعة الإعلانات فيه كانت مختلفة بشكل كبير جدا عن دلوقتي، بس التجربة ملهمة وتقريبا أغلب (الدروس المستفادة) والنصايح اللي قالها ملهمة جدا ومناسبة لأى حد بيتشغل في المجال ده حاليا.
عن نفسي كنت بحاول أطبق حاجات كتير من نصايحة في شغلي والموضوع ده كان بيفتحلي سكك جديدة فرقت معايا بشكل كبير.
من أكتر الحاجات اللي عجبتني هى رأى أوجيلفي ان أهم مهارة للكوبي رايتر الشاطر واللي هتميز شغله عن أى حد هى انه يكون فاهم الناس بتفكر ازاى وبتاخد قرارها ازاى. وبيعرف يعمل ريسيرش كويس ويطلع بنتايج تقدر تعلي شغله.
من الآخر يكون بيعرف يطلع ب insights صايعة.
خفة الدم والكتابة الكويسة هم الكريزة اللي فوق التورتة، لكن لوحدهم من غير مذاكرة وشغل كتير مش هيوصلوا صاحبهم لحاجة.
أضعف جزء بالنسبالي هو دفاعه عن أخلاقية الشغل في الإعلانات. عدد من الحجج اللي قدمها كان ضعيف جدا. بس يحسبله طبعا انه كان بينصح عملاؤه يستغنوا عن إعلانات الbillboards بعد ما أثبت انها بتزود نسبة الحوادث.
كتاب جميل هيفيد أى حد مهتم بالإعلانات. بس حاول تقراه بالراحة وتفكر ازاى تطبقه على الوقت الحالي.
October 12, 2020
Dated
Some great lessons in here but many are too old to be useful. For example, TV was “new” at the time of publishing. I enjoyed the examples of great ads, because those are timeless, but given the purpose of the book is to provide hands-on advertising advice, it doesn’t stand up.
Some great lessons in here but many are too old to be useful. For example, TV was “new” at the time of publishing. I enjoyed the examples of great ads, because those are timeless, but given the purpose of the book is to provide hands-on advertising advice, it doesn’t stand up.
November 15, 2020
Bleda senka svog starijeg brata, Confessions of an Advertising man. Stampana je na masnom papiru, sa ikoničkom tipografijom, u formatu koji dozvoljava niz radova koji prate tekst. Sve su to tragovi koji upozoravaju da je ovo brošura za Ogilvy&Mather, a ne knjiga. Na svaki savet okićen superlativima valja dodati "uglavnom, ali zavisi od konteksta".
September 19, 2018
Огилви описывает базовые принципы и правила рекламы, которые работали в его время. Многие из них работают по сей день и продолжат работать в будущем.
Рекомендую к прочтению всем, чье дело так или иначе связано с рекламой. Многое из написанного актуально в своевременном мире интернет-рекламы.
Рекомендую к прочтению всем, чье дело так или иначе связано с рекламой. Многое из написанного актуально в своевременном мире интернет-рекламы.
August 5, 2015
You can read it hundred times.
June 9, 2019
A bit dated these days but some really insightful wisdom in here.
September 24, 2021
This book is quite insightful if you've not read much about advertising or marketing before. It helps that it stays readable by keeping a dry sense of humour throughout. The author David Ogilvy was a titan in the field and worked from the 1930's till the '80s. His lasting legacy was to turn advertising from a purely creative pursuit to one backed by research and experiments. He tried hard to show that his methods led to more sales. In his own words, the most important sentence in the book is this: "Advertising which promises no benefit to the consumer does not sell, yet the majority of campaigns contain no promise whatever."
A bit of biographical detail may help locate this book better. Ogilvy started off selling cookers door-to-door in England. But he soon moved to the US to work for Gallup's "Audience Research Institute" where he learnt the effectiveness of surveys and quantitative tools. This remained an influence throughout his long career in print, billboard, radio and TV ads. While he can write a chapter titled "The 18 Miracles of Research", he can also come down hard on research which takes too long and produces no actionable items to drive a campaign forward. An utter rarity of a man, he was at one time both the Research Director and Creative Director of Ogilvy Inc!
The book's chapters are essays on topics like how to create advertising that sells, what copywriting techniques work for print and TV, what you can learn from Procter and Gamble, what kind of research should back up your advertising...and so on. There are also chapters on the logistics of running an ad agency - finding clients, hiring etc. These you can skip if you're interested only in advertisement related advice.
According to Ogilvy, to create a good ad you should first do some homework and understand the product's positioning and the brand's image / personality. After that, if you get a "big idea", you might go on to make a great ad. What are some examples of great ads? Well, not that you'd have heard of any of these: Merrill Lynch's Bull Commercial, the Marlboro Country commercial and so on. What makes this book great is passages like the following, where Ogilvy explains why staying humble is key when a possibly great idea is being birthed. Ask yourself: Did it make you gasp? Did you wish you'd thought of it yourself? Is it unique? Does it fit the strategy to perfection? And crucially, Can it be used for 30 years (meaning a loong time)?
That Ogilvy has spent a long time connecting the creative to the commercial becomes clear: "Big ideas come from the unconscious. This is true in art, in science and in advertising. But your unconscious has to be well informed [emphasis as in the original], or your idea will be irrelevant. Stuff your conscious mind with information, then unhook your rational thought process. You can help this process by going for a long walk, or taking a hot bath, or drinking half a pint of claret. Suddenly, if the telephone line from your unconscious is open, a big idea wells up within you".
He admits that such big ideas happen only a few dozen times in one's career. For the rest of the occasions, he offers suggestions he believes can multiply your ad's effectiveness. "For 35 years I have continued on the course charted by Gallup, collecting factors the way other men collect pictures and postage stamps."
These "factors" span everything from font size (serif is better!), color combinations (never white text on black!), to should you use sexuality (not if it's irrelevant to the product: "To show bosoms in a detergent advertisement would not sell the detergent") and so on. A surprising pattern he recommends is to use lots of text in a print ad as opposed to little, and an unethical method he suggests is to camouflage ads like editorial content. Also, he believes celebrities don't help!
Personally, I can see the sense in getting the basics right: lead by mentioning the benefit of the product, show the product a few times, demo the usage or packaging etc. But there is a tension in the broader suggestions which I don't think Ogilvy is able to settle, nor is there a permanently correct answer for all places. For example, he says that an ad with a story is always preferable. His own famous eye-patch for a shirt brand (link) hints at a backstory and makes the reader pause. But how far can you go in search of a story, brand image or big idea before you start undermining the benefits and relatability of a product?
I could end this review with any of a dozen quotable quotes from the book. So how about this one where he's berating again the prizing of form over function, aesthetic appeal over commerce: "Do you want masterpieces? Do you want glowing things that can be framed by copywriters? Or do you want to see the goddamned sales curve stop moving down and start moving up?" [emphasis in the original]
If such questions and their inherent tensions interest you, I suggest diving into this book.
A bit of biographical detail may help locate this book better. Ogilvy started off selling cookers door-to-door in England. But he soon moved to the US to work for Gallup's "Audience Research Institute" where he learnt the effectiveness of surveys and quantitative tools. This remained an influence throughout his long career in print, billboard, radio and TV ads. While he can write a chapter titled "The 18 Miracles of Research", he can also come down hard on research which takes too long and produces no actionable items to drive a campaign forward. An utter rarity of a man, he was at one time both the Research Director and Creative Director of Ogilvy Inc!
The book's chapters are essays on topics like how to create advertising that sells, what copywriting techniques work for print and TV, what you can learn from Procter and Gamble, what kind of research should back up your advertising...and so on. There are also chapters on the logistics of running an ad agency - finding clients, hiring etc. These you can skip if you're interested only in advertisement related advice.
According to Ogilvy, to create a good ad you should first do some homework and understand the product's positioning and the brand's image / personality. After that, if you get a "big idea", you might go on to make a great ad. What are some examples of great ads? Well, not that you'd have heard of any of these: Merrill Lynch's Bull Commercial, the Marlboro Country commercial and so on. What makes this book great is passages like the following, where Ogilvy explains why staying humble is key when a possibly great idea is being birthed. Ask yourself: Did it make you gasp? Did you wish you'd thought of it yourself? Is it unique? Does it fit the strategy to perfection? And crucially, Can it be used for 30 years (meaning a loong time)?
That Ogilvy has spent a long time connecting the creative to the commercial becomes clear: "Big ideas come from the unconscious. This is true in art, in science and in advertising. But your unconscious has to be well informed [emphasis as in the original], or your idea will be irrelevant. Stuff your conscious mind with information, then unhook your rational thought process. You can help this process by going for a long walk, or taking a hot bath, or drinking half a pint of claret. Suddenly, if the telephone line from your unconscious is open, a big idea wells up within you".
He admits that such big ideas happen only a few dozen times in one's career. For the rest of the occasions, he offers suggestions he believes can multiply your ad's effectiveness. "For 35 years I have continued on the course charted by Gallup, collecting factors the way other men collect pictures and postage stamps."
These "factors" span everything from font size (serif is better!), color combinations (never white text on black!), to should you use sexuality (not if it's irrelevant to the product: "To show bosoms in a detergent advertisement would not sell the detergent") and so on. A surprising pattern he recommends is to use lots of text in a print ad as opposed to little, and an unethical method he suggests is to camouflage ads like editorial content. Also, he believes celebrities don't help!
Personally, I can see the sense in getting the basics right: lead by mentioning the benefit of the product, show the product a few times, demo the usage or packaging etc. But there is a tension in the broader suggestions which I don't think Ogilvy is able to settle, nor is there a permanently correct answer for all places. For example, he says that an ad with a story is always preferable. His own famous eye-patch for a shirt brand (link) hints at a backstory and makes the reader pause. But how far can you go in search of a story, brand image or big idea before you start undermining the benefits and relatability of a product?
I could end this review with any of a dozen quotable quotes from the book. So how about this one where he's berating again the prizing of form over function, aesthetic appeal over commerce: "Do you want masterpieces? Do you want glowing things that can be framed by copywriters? Or do you want to see the goddamned sales curve stop moving down and start moving up?" [emphasis in the original]
If such questions and their inherent tensions interest you, I suggest diving into this book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 525 reviews