Ogilvy Business Wisdom

David Ogilvy

Known as the 'Father of Advertising,' David Ogilvy (1911-1999) founded an advertising agency in 1948 that eventually became the Ogilvy & Mather we know today. 


Ogilvy was not shy about opining on what he believed to be the foundational principles and thoughts of strong business practices.


I've parsed out a few of my favorites which are posted in my office and continue to shape my traditional and emerging efforts in Mar/Comm across my decade in the business:


On staffing:

• "If you hire people who are bigger than you are, we shall become a company of giants." 

On mindset:

• "The best ideas come as jokes.  Make your thinking as funny as possible."

On excellence:

• "The pursuit of excellence is less profitable then the pursuit of bigness, but it can be more satisfying."

On brand persona: 

• "You know you have to decide what 'image' you want for your brand.  Products, like people, have personalities, and they can make or break them in the marketplace."

On content:

• "What really decides consumers to buy or not buy is the content of your advertising, not its form."

On advertising:

• "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."
• "Every advertisement is part of the long-term investment in the personality of the brand."
• "Never stop testing, and your advertising will never stop improving."

On the consumer:

• "On average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy.  When you have written your headline, you have spent eighty cents out of your dollar." 
• "The consumer isn't a moron.  She is your wife."

I don't believe Mr. Ogilvy's thoughts require much explanation from me, as they're tried, true and timeless.  They stand on their own merits.  They are worth your time and application.  

I challenge you to build a running list or active journal of thoughts/quotes that motivate and inspire you.  Maybe they're not the thoughts of David Ogilvy, but somewhere someone is saying and/or sharing quotables that are food for your thought.