I have an inviolable rule against employing nepots and spouses, because they breed politics. Whenever two people get married, one of them must depart - preferably the female, to look after the baby. David Ogilvy More Quotes by David Ogilvy More Quotes From David Ogilvy Don't hire a dog, then bark yourself David Ogilvy creativity creative dog The best ideas come as jokes. Make your thinking as funny as possible. David Ogilvy creativity humor thinking Big ideas are usually simple ideas. David Ogilvy bigs simple ideas Every ad is an investment in the long-term image of a brand. David Ogilvy investment term long You have only 30 seconds in a TV commercial. If you grab attention in the first frame with a visual surprise, you stand a better chance of holding the viewer. People screen out a lot of commercials because they open with something dull. When you advertise fire-extinguishers, open with the fire. David Ogilvy fire attention people To advertisers: "Do not compete with your agency in the creative area. Why keep a dog and bark yourself?" David Ogilvy agency humorous dog 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. I doubt if more than one campaign in a hundred contains a big idea. David Ogilvy doubt night ideas In most agencies, account executives outnumber the copywriters two to one. If you were a dairy farmer, would you employ twice as many milkers as you had cows? David Ogilvy cows agency two There is no need for advertisements to look like advertisements. If you make them look like editorial pages, you will attract about 50 per cent more readers. David Ogilvy business looks needs Nobody has ever built a brand by imitating somebody else's advertising. David Ogilvy advertisement-negative irritating advertising Hire people who are better than you are, then leave them to get on with it. Look for people who will aim for the remarkable, who will not settle for the routine. David Ogilvy service-culture top-management business Advertising people who ignore research are as dangerous as generals who ignore decodes of enemy signals. David Ogilvy business people enemy I have a theory that the best ads come from personal experience. Some of the good ones I have done have really come out of the real experience of my life, and somehow this has come over as true and valid and persuasive. People love to read stories. They like to know you as a real person who has your struggle, pain, success and failure, etc. One well-known example is Jared Fogle's weight loss story which made millions of dollars for Subway. Start to collect your stories from today and use them in your ad campaigns. David Ogilvy pain real struggle When you have nothing to say, sing it. David Ogilvy advertising Headlines can be strengthend by the inclusion of emotional words like darling, love, fear, proud, friend and baby. David Ogilvy emotional proud baby Creativity needs discipline and freedom. David Ogilvy creativity discipline needs You aren’t advertising to a standing army; you are advertising to a moving parade. David Ogilvy advertising army moving If you want ACTION, don’t write. Go and tell the guy what you want. David Ogilvy guy want writing People don't buy a new detergent because the manufacturer told a joke on television last night. David Ogilvy night people television It has been found that the less an advertisement looks like an advertisement and the more it looks like an editorial, the more readers stop, look, and read. David Ogilvy advertising business looks