David Ogilvy on advertisement
David Ogilvy46 quotes“Ninety-nine percent of advertising doesn’t sell much of anything.”
Filed under
More from David Ogilvy
The headline is the ‘ticket on the meat.’ Use it to flag down readers who are prospects for the kind of product you are advertising.
David OgilvyDavid Ogilvy Don’t bunt. Aim out of the ball park. Aim for the company of immortals.
David OgilvyDavid Ogilvy Advertising is only evil when it advertises evil things.
David OgilvyDavid Ogilvy Political advertising ought to be stopped. It’s the only really dishonest kind of advertising that’s left. It’s totally dishonest.
David OgilvyDavid Ogilvy It is flagrantly dishonest for an advertising agent to urge consumers to buy a product which he would not allow his own wife to buy.
David OgilvyDavid Ogilvy A good advertisement is one which sells the product without drawing attention to itself.
David OgilvyDavid Ogilvy If each of us hires people who are smaller than we are, we shall become a company of dwarfs. But if each of us hires people who are bigger than we are, we shall become a company of giants.
David OgilvyDavid Ogilvy There are very few men of genius in advertising agencies. But we need all we can find. Almost without exception they are disagreeable. Don’t destroy them. They lay golden eggs.
David OgilvyDavid Ogilvy The most important word in the vocabulary of advertising is TEST. If you pretest your product with consumers, and pretest your advertising, you will do well in the marketplace.
David OgilvyDavid Ogilvy Never stop testing, and your advertising will never stop improving.
David OgilvyDavid Ogilvy I do not regard advertising as entertainment or an art form, but as a medium of information.
David OgilvyDavid Ogilvy Much of the messy advertising you see on television today is the product of committees. Committees can criticize advertisements, but they should never be allowed to create them.
David OgilvyDavid Ogilvy The best ideas come as jokes. Make your thinking as funny as possible.
David OgilvyDavid Ogilvy 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 OgilvyDavid Ogilvy Does advertising corrupt editors? Yes it does, but fewer editors than you may suppose the vast majority of editors are incorruptible.
David OgilvyDavid Ogilvy Good copy can’t be written with tongue in cheek, written just for a living. You’ve got to believe in the product.
David OgilvyDavid Ogilvy
Original quotes
From our community writers
Poetry is the voice of the soul and the inspiration of the heart.
Teresa PeresTeresa Peres But it was now time for her to go away-to find someone who could show her what happiness was.
Lang LeavLang Leav Just because you haven’t seen how wonderful, beautiful, and special she is, doesn’t mean no one else will.
Norah RoseNorah Rose A memory is a star or a stain.
Aneena BijuAneena Biju Love her, but don’t forget to leave her wild.
Little PaulsonLittle Paulson Do your own thing and live your way of happiness.
Emily BockEmily Bock I’ve experienced departure far too much to have the courage and call anyone my own.
Mira R. AridiMira R. Aridi More often than I am not, all I need is the rise of my own lungs – I am already complete.
Shelby EnsignShelby Ensign
Meet the writers
More on advertisement
Consider the way of the scientists rather than the way of an advertising agent for a new soap.
Ezra PoundEzra Pound We grew up founding our dreams on the infinite promise of American advertising.
Zelda FitzgeraldZelda Fitzgerald The more informative your advertising, the more persuasive it will be.
David OgilvyDavid Ogilvy What you say in advertising is more important than how you say it.
David OgilvyDavid Ogilvy The headline is the ‘ticket on the meat.’ Use it to flag down readers who are prospects for the kind of product you are advertising.
David OgilvyDavid Ogilvy Advertising is only evil when it advertises evil things.
David OgilvyDavid Ogilvy Political advertising ought to be stopped. It’s the only really dishonest kind of advertising that’s left. It’s totally dishonest.
David OgilvyDavid Ogilvy It is flagrantly dishonest for an advertising agent to urge consumers to buy a product which he would not allow his own wife to buy.
David OgilvyDavid Ogilvy
