10 Ageless Ogilvy lessons for today’s writers and marketers
It’s easy to assume advertising in the 1950s bears little resemblance to the advertising of today.
And in many ways, you’d be right. Now, we’re surrounded by ads everywhere—glancing down at our phones, looking up at billboards, and having our attention snagged by every screen in between.
Yet, the principles of writing and advertising laid by David Ogilvy, dubbed the "father of advertising," are still as relevant today as they were in his heyday. Writing that resonates and persuades often follows the same timeless ideas Ogilvy pioneered 40-plus years ago.
With his books and acclaimed agency, Ogilvy changed how we think about writing and creativity’s ability to influence. In this article, I’ll cover ten of his most timeless lessons taken directly from his quotes and books.
1. Chase down a “big idea”
Although Ogilvy’s livelihood was searching for ideas that marketed products, he doubted he’d had more than 20 “big ideas” in his multi-decade career. “Unless your advertising contains a big idea,” he says, “it will pass like a ship in the night.”
But what is a big idea, and how do you know you’ve found one? Ogilvy says you usually recognise a big idea after asking five questions:
1. Did it make me gasp when I first saw it?
2. Do I wish I had thought of it myself?
3. Is it unique?
4. Does it fit the strategy to perfection?
5. Could it be used for 30 years?
Ogilvy emphasised creating “a” big idea, not multiple ideas. Try not to cram too many ideas into one, or make your reader work too hard. Copywriting formulas are one way to go into comprehensive detail, one idea at a time.
2. Ground yourself in research
In the early days of Ogilvy & Mather, Ogilvy was both Research Director and Creative Director.
That means he spent his days “stuffing” his mind with information about buyers, understanding their needs and desires to support the positioning of his campaigns.
Here’s what Ogilvy says about research and positioning:
“Find out how they think about your kind of product, what language they use when they discuss the subject, what attributes are important to them, and what promise would be most likely to make them buy your brand. Now consider how you want to ‘position’ your product. This curious verb is in great favor among marketing experts, but no two of them agree what it means. My own definition is ‘what the product does, and who it is for.’”
Ogilvy did have challenges with market research: people don't think what they feel, say what they think, or do what they say. Understanding your audience and how they describe their needs (even if it’s just one person) is a great way to start finding big ideas.
3. Work with your unconscious
After filling his conscious mind with information on the target buyer, Ogilvy would then tap into his unconscious to search for a big idea:
“Stuff your conscious mind with information, then unhook your rational thought process. You can help this process by going for a long walk, or taking a hot bath, or drinking half a pint of claret. Suddenly, if the telephone line from your unconscious is open, a big idea wells up within you.”
If you like remote working and your boss doesn’t, share them this: Ogilvy claims he “never” wrote an advertisement in the office. Most of his writing, and his best ideas, happened at home.
The famous image for Pepperidge Farm came to Ogilvy in a dream after fretting about the campaign for days. The white horses appeared on Pepperidge Farm packaging for decades after.
4. Draw inspiration from experiences
Why did stories like Jack Kerouac’s On the Road and Hunter S. Thompson’s “Gonzo” style of journalism win over readers? These stories, even if exaggerated in parts, come from a source of authenticity. Ogilvy felt the same approach improved his writing:
"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."
Ogilvy’s famous ad for Rolls Royce. What made this car stand out was its luxurious silence, which he could not know without experience.
This lesson teaches us to go out and live a full life. Curiosity and experiences fuels our idea bank, with images, emotions, and stories that make powerful writing.
Want to infuse experiences into your writing? Check out my article on creating unique content through your “prism of self”.
5. Think funny
ClickUp is a project management tool among hundreds of project management tools. But the company’s goofy social media skits with a cast of HR professionals feels like a B2B sitcom.
Perhaps you consider this advertisign “cringe”, but the impact is undeniable. Millions of views and followers later, ClickUp is grabbing its share of attention in a competitive industry.
Ogilvy said this about humour in advertising:
“The best ideas come as jokes. Make your thinking as funny as possible.”
Work in a stuffy industry? A touch of humour can differentiate you. These days, your competition for attention stretches beyond your industry—you’re up against whatever the algorithms decide to feed your audience. Humour is one way of entertaining the masses while demonstrating to your audience: “don’t worry, we get you.”
An example of Ogilvy’s subtle humour. The eye patch is never mentioned in the ad, but it’s used as a prop to add curiosity.
6. Position through creativity
Ogilvy emphasised we don’t buy based on what a product does—we buy better versions of ourselves. When crafting ad copy, he advised speaking to the buyer‘s aspirations or desires, and positioning the product as a way to fulfil them.
The challenge most marketers have is their product are almost the same as their competitors. What do you do in this case? Ogilvy says:
When faced with selling 'parity' products, all you can hope to do is explain their virtues more persuasively than your competitors, and to differentiate them by the style of your advertising.
Apple differentiated from stuffy PC ads—mainly solely on the specs of the product—by positioning Mac as a creative tool. Their campaigns placed Apple products on the highest point of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs: self-actualization.
Apple’s famous slogan “Think different”, was widely taken as a response to the IBM slogan "Think". How’s that for differentiation?
One of 66 hilarious ads created by Apple with their “Mac vs PC” campaign. The ads hilariously pointed out PCs flaws while making Mac appear cutting-edge.
7. Write as you speak
In 1982, Ogilvy wrote an internal memo to employees at Ogilvy & Mather. The memo was entitled “How to Write”:
Why choose smart-sounding words when a simple one suits (and makes you seem less like an ass)? Ogilvy wrote:
“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.”
Note that Ogilvy references “newspapers”—remember those? Now, we have even more reason to get to the point, fast.
8. Rework your headlines (again and again)
Ogilvy considered headlines the most critical part of any ad. A great headline should capture attention, provide a benefit, and entice the reader to read on. He said:
“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.”
Ogilvy tried to write 20 alternative headlines for every ad. This might sound like a lot, but by reworking your headlines you’ll quickly find more unnecessary words to cut and more precision to the reader’s needs. The outcome is a headline that delivers a stronger first impression.
Headlines I worked on for this article. In the end, I didn’t choose any of them.
9. Shape perception through image and brand
In Ogilvy on Advertising, Ogilvy references research from the Department of Psychology at the University of California, where researchers gave distilled water to students.
They told some it was distilled water and asked them to describe the taste. Most said it had no taste. But when they told others that the distilled water came out of a tap, most said it tasted horrible.
This research shows how brands and ideas shape our perception, even impacting our senses. Ogilvy uses whiskey as another example:
“Why do some people choose Jack Daniel's, while others choose Grand Dad or Taylor? Have they tried all three and compared the taste? Don't make me laugh. The reality is that these three brands have different images that appeal to different kinds of people. It isn't the whiskey they choose; it's the image. The brand image is 90 percent of what the distiller has to sell.”
Next time you choose a product, question how much the brand impacted your buying behavior. This all begins through the power of writing.
10. Never stop testing
“Test” is perhaps the single most important word in advertising. Every email, every headline, and every word is an opportunity to learn something new. Ogilvy said himself:
“Never stop testing, and your advertising will never stop improving.”
Performance marketers know that so much of advertising is all about beating the “control” in your test. With a clear “hypothesis” and a huge scoop of belief, our experiments are a route to non-stop learning and personal and financial growth.
Why Ogilvy’s Lessons Endure
If you’ve worked in marketing or writing publicly for some time, then some of this advice might feel obvious to you. But the groundwork Ogilvy laid with his ideas is just as relevant for newcomers as seasoned pros.
When writing advice resonates across generations, influencing new media and evolving platforms, it’s worth pausing to consider them. That’s why Ogilvy’s lessons continue to stand the test of time.
