Quotes by Ogilvy, David

“What you say in advertising is more important than how you say it.””

“Develop your eccentricities while you are young. That way, when you get old, people won’t think you’re going gaga.””

“On the 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 most effective leader is the one who satisfies the psychological needs of his followers.””

“As a private person, I have a passion for landscape, and I have never seen one improved by a billboard. Where every prospect pleases, man is at his vilest when he erects a billboard. When I retire from Madison Avenue, I am going to start a secret society of masked vigilantes who will travel around the world on silent motor bicycles, chopping down posters at the dark of the moon. How many juries will convict us when we are caught in these acts of beneficent citizenship?””

“I do not regard advertising as entertainment or an art form, but as a medium of information. 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.””

“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.””

“Some copywriters write tricky headlines – double meanings, puns and other obscurities. This is counter-productive. In the average newspaper your headline has to compete with 350 others. Readers travel fast through this jungle. Your headline should telegraph what you want to say.””

“The hallmarks of a potentially successful copywriter include: Obsessive curiosity about products, people and advertising. A sense of humor. A habit of hard work. The ability to write interesting prose for printed media, and natural dialogue for television. The ability to think visually. Television commercials depend more on pictures than words. The ambition to write better campaigns than anyone has ever written before.””

“Don't bunt. Aim out of the ballpark. Aim for the company of immortals.””

“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.””

“It isn’t the whiskey they choose, it’s the image.””

“The headlines which work best are those which promise the reader a benefit””