Home / Authors / David Ogilvy

David Ogilvy

David Ogilvy Quotes

Businessman

David Ogilvy, born on June 23, 1911 in Scotland, was an outstanding businessman. He was one of the founders of Ogilvy & Mather, an advertising agency that became one of the largest in the world. Known as the father of modern advertising, Ogilvy was renowned for his unique advertising philosophy and deep insights into consumer psychology, whose works had a profound impact on the global advertising industry.

Filter quotes by topic

All Advertising Ifs People Business Products Advertisements Consumers Economy Marketing Agency Clients Men Writing Advertising Agencies Great Advertising Ideas Brands Headlines Knows Thinking

Famous David Ogilvy Quotes

“In most agencies, account executives outnumber the copywriters two to one. If you were a dairy farmer, would you employ twice as many milkers as you had cows?”

Ifs Two Accounts Agency Executives Farmers Cows Dairy

Author:David Ogilvy

“Agencies which frequently work nights and weekends are more stimulating, more successful - and more profitable.”

Night Successful Agency Weekend Profitable

Author:David Ogilvy

“It is important to admit your mistakes, and to do so before you are charged with them. Many clients are surrounded by buckpassers who make a fine art of blaming the agency for their own failures. I seize the earliest opportunity to assume the blame.”

Art Important Opportunity Mistake Fine Blame Assuming Agency Clients Fine Arts

Book:Confessions of an advertising man

Source: Confessions of an advertising man

“The general advertisers and their agencies know almost nothing for sure, because they cannot measure the results of their advertising. They worship at the altar of creativity, which really means 'originality': The most dangerous word in the lexicon of advertising”

Knows Mean Results Creativity Dangerous Worship Advertising Agency Originality Altars Really Mean Advertisers Lexicon

Author:David Ogilvy

“The trouble with many copywriters in general agencies are that they don't really think in terms of selling. They have never written direct-response; they have never tasted blood”

Thinking Term Written Trouble Blood Direct Response Selling Agency

Author:David Ogilvy

“I have noticed that agencies which are full of fun and ferment seem to create the best advertising. If you are not happy in advertising, for goodness sake find a job in which you would be happy. For as far as I know, we pass this way only once”

Ifs Knows Way Seems Would Be Jobs Fun Goodness Sake Advertising Agency Not Happy

Author:David Ogilvy

“Advertising is a business of words, but advertising agencies are infested with men and women who cannot write. They cannot write advertisements, and they cannot write plans. They are helpless as deaf mutes on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera.”

Men Writing Economy Plans Stage Men And Women Advertising Agency Opera Helpless Deaf Advertisements Advertising Agencies Metropolitan Great Advertising Advertisement Negative

Book:Confessions of an advertising man

Source: Confessions of an advertising man

“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.”

Ifs Business Worry Economy Built Fortune Campaigns Stealing Advertising Brands Agency Good Fortune Irritating Irritated Imitating Advertising Agencies Great Advertising Advertisement Negative

Book:Confessions of an advertising man

Source: Confessions of an advertising man

“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.”

Accepting Economy Perspective Doctors Accounts Patient Advertising Intimate Agency Clients Advertising Agencies

Book:Confessions of an advertising man

Source: Confessions of an advertising man

“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.”

Men Needs Genius Lays Golden Advertising Agency Exception Eggs Disagreeable Advertising Agencies Golden Eggs

Book:Confessions of an advertising man

Source: Confessions of an advertising man

“Experience has taught me that advertisers get the best results when they pay their agency a flat fee. It is unrealistic to expect your agency to be impartial when its vested interest lies wholly in the direction of increasing your commissionable advertising.”

Lying Interest Results Business Pay Taught Advertising Agency Flats Fees Advertisers Vested Interests

Author:David Ogilvy

“To advertisers: "Do not compete with your agency in the creative area. Why keep a dog and bark yourself?"”

Creative Dog Humorous Areas Advertising Agency Bark Advertisers

Book:Confessions of an advertising man

Source: Confessions of an advertising man

“Training should not be confined to trainees. It should be a continuous process, and should include the entire professional staff of the agency. The more our people learn, the more useful they can be to our clients.”

People Should Process Training Agency Clients Staff Confined Trainees

Author:David Ogilvy

“Most agencies run scared, most of the time. . . .Frightened people are powerless to produce good advertising. . . . If I were aclient, I would do everything in my power to emancipate my agencies from fear, even to the extent of giving them long-term contracts.”

People Ifs Giving Long Running Term Produce Scared Advertising Long Term Agency Frightened Contracts Powerless Advertising Agencies

Author:David Ogilvy

“Managing an advertising agency isn't all beer and skittles. After fourteen years of it, I have come to the conclusion that the top man has one principle responsibility: to provide an atmosphere in which creative mavericks can do useful work.”

Men Years Can Do Responsibility Principles Creative Conclusion Advertising Beer Atmosphere Agency Fourteen Advertising Agencies Maverick Skittles

Book:Confessions of an advertising man

Source: Confessions of an advertising man

About the Author

Born: June 23, 1911
Died: July 21, 1999
Known for: Businessman
Quotes: 223

Related Topics

Advertising Ifs People Business Products Advertisements Consumers Economy Marketing Agency Clients Men Writing Advertising Agencies Great Advertising Ideas Brands Headlines Knows Thinking

Popular Topics

People Ifs Thinking Knows Men World Way Want Love Life Inspirational Needs Giving Feels Should Writing Trying Years Mind Firsts

Books & Sources

Confessions of an advertising manRelated source material

The Unpublished David OgilvyRelated source material

An autobiographyRelated source material

Blood, Brains and BeerRelated source material

Similar Authors

Leo BurnettBrowse related quotes
Michael SchudsonBrowse related quotes
William BernbachBrowse related quotes
Claude C. HopkinsBrowse related quotes
Jerry Della FeminaBrowse related quotes
Leo BogartBrowse related quotes
Rosser ReevesBrowse related quotes
Fairfax M. ConeBrowse related quotes
Kenneth RomanBrowse related quotes
Phil DusenberryBrowse related quotes