David Ogilvy Quotes & Sayings

“The best ideas come as jokes. Make your thinking as funny as possible.”

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

“If you ever have the good fortune to create a great advertising campaign, you will soon see another agency steal it. This is irritating, but don't let it worry you; nobody has ever built a brand by imitating somebody else's advertising.”

“A good advertisement is one which sells the product without drawing attention to itself.”

“Our business is infested with idiots who try to impress by using pretentious jargon.”

“You now have to decide what 'image' you want for your brand. Image means personality. Products, like people, have personalities, and they can make or break them in the market place.”

“Every advertisement should be thought of as a contribution to the complex symbol which is the brand image.”

“The relationship between a manufacturer and his advertising agency is almost as intimate as the relationship between a patient and his doctor. Make sure that you can life happily with your prospective client before you accept his account.”

“I notice increasing reluctance on the part of marketing executives to use judgment; they are coming to rely too much on research, and they use it as a drunkard uses a lamp post for support, rather than for illumination.”

“If it doesn't sell, it isn't creative.”