Study the methods of your competitors and do the exact opposite. David Ogilvy More Quotes by David Ogilvy More Quotes From David Ogilvy The only marketers who know what the hell they're doing are those who have worked in sales David Ogilvy marketershellknows I had a friend who was the King's surgeon in England. One day I asked him what makes a great surgeon. He replied, "What distinguishes a great surgeon is his knowledge. He knows more than other surgeons. During an operation he finds something which he wasn't expecting, recognizes it and knows what to do about it." It's the same thing with advertising people. The good ones know more. How do you get to know more? By reading books about advertising. By picking the brains of people who know more than you do. From the Magic Lanterns. And from experience. David Ogilvy readingkingsbook The general advertisers and their agencies know almost nothing for sure, because they cannot measure the results of their advertising. They worship at the altar of creativity, which really means 'originality': The most dangerous word in the lexicon of advertising David Ogilvy agencycreativitymean Nobody should be allowed to create general advertising until he has served his apprenticeship in direct-response David Ogilvy apprenticeshipadvertisingshould I'd like to be remembered, as a copywriter who had some big ideas. That's what the advertising business is all about. Big ideas David Ogilvy advertising-businessbigsideas I figure that my staff will be less reluctant to work overtime if I work longer hours than they do. David Ogilvy staffhoursfigures Many of the greatest creations of man have been inspired by the desire to make money...If Oxford undergraduates were paid for their work, I would have performed miracles of scholarship and become Regius Professor of Modern History. David Ogilvy creation-of-maneducationmen Never use jargon words like 'reconceptualize', 'demassification', 'attitudinally', 'judgmentally'. They are hallmarks of a pretentious ass. David Ogilvy jargonassuse The more story-appeal there is in the picture or in the photograph, the more people would look at your ad David Ogilvy storiespeoplelooks Try and inject into every commercial you make a touch of singularity; a bird that will hook on to the consumers mind David Ogilvy mindtryingbird Can advertising foist an inferior product on the consumer? Bitter experience has taught me that it cannot. On those rare occasions when I have advertised products which consumer tests have found inferior to other products in the same field, the results have been disastrous. David Ogilvy rare-occasiontestsfields Once upon a time I was riding on the top of a First Avenue bus, when I heard a mythical housewife say to another, "Molly, my dear, I would have bought that new brand of toilet soap if only they hadn't set the body copy in ten point Garamond." Don't you believe it. What really decides consumers to buy or not to buy is the content of your advertising, not its form. David Ogilvy ridingonce-upon-a-timebelieve One half was sad because I had damaged my reputation. The other half was happy because I had damaged my reputation. David Ogilvy other-halfreputationhalf Many manufacturers secretly question whether advertising really sells their product, but are vaguely afraid that their competitors might steal a march on them if they stopped. David Ogilvy marchadvertisingmight I always use my clients' products. This is not toady-ism, but elementary good manners. David Ogilvy ismsgood-manuse Many people - and I think I am one of them - are more productive when they've had a little to drink. I find if I drink two or three brandies, I'm far better able to write. David Ogilvy workwritingthinking Political advertising ought to be stopped. It's the only really dishonest kind of advertising that's left. It's totally dishonest. David Ogilvy dishonestypoliticalkind Consumers do not buy products. They buy product benefits. David Ogilvy copywritingconsumersbenefits I don't believe in tricky advertising, I don't believe in cute advertising, I don't believe in comic advertising. The people who perpetrate that kind of advertising never had to sell anything in their lives David Ogilvy cutebelievepeople It's not creative unless it sells. David Ogilvy sellscreative
