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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.

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Famous David Ogilvy Quotes

“There are now unmistakeable signs of a trend in favor of superior products at premium prices. The consumer is not a moron, she is your wife.”

Wife Products Favors Superiors Consumers Trends Moron Premium

Author:David Ogilvy

“A consumer is not a moron. She's your wife. Don't insult her intelligence, and don't shock her.”

Wife Consumers Insult Shock Moron

Author:David Ogilvy

“Once upon a time I was riding on the top of a First Avenue bus, when I heard a mythical housewife say to another, "Molly, my dear, I would have bought that new brand of toilet soap if only they hadn't set the body copy in ten point Garamond." Don't you believe it. What really decides consumers to buy or not to buy is the content of your advertising, not its form.”

Ifs Firsts Believe Body Form Heard Ten Dear Advertising Brands Consumers Copies Bus Riding Toilets Soap Avenues Housewife Once Upon A Time

Author:David Ogilvy

“We like people who are honest. Honest in argument, honest with clients, honest with suppliers, honest with the company - and above all, honest with consumers.”

People Company Honest Argument Consumers Clients Suppliers

Book:The Unpublished David Ogilvy

Source: The Unpublished David Ogilvy

“While you are responsible to your clients for sales results, you are responsible to consumers for the kind of advertising you bring into their homes.”

Kind Home Results Responsible Advertising Consumers Clients

Author:David Ogilvy

“You aren't advertising to a standing army; you are advertising to a moving parade. Three million consumers get married every year. The advertisement which sold a refrigerator to those who got married last year will probably be just as successful with those who'll get married next year. An advertisement is just like a radar sweep, constantly hunting new prospects as they come into the market. Get a good radar and keep it sweeping.”

Years Lasts Moving Three Next Millions Successful Married Standing Army Advertising Consumers Hunting Last Year Next Year Parades Advertisements Sweeping Prospects Radar Refrigerators

Author:David Ogilvy

“...consumers do not buy one brand of soap, or coffee, or detergent. They have a repertory of four or five brands, and move from one to another. They almost never buy a brand which has not been admitted to their repertory during its first year on the market.”

Years Firsts Moving Five Four Coffee Brands Consumers Soap

Author:David Ogilvy

“Consumers do not buy products. They buy product benefits.”

Products Benefits Consumers Copywriting

Author:David Ogilvy

“Try and inject into every commercial you make a touch of singularity; a bird that will hook on to the consumers mind”

Trying Mind Bird Consumers Hook Singularity

Author:David Ogilvy

“The consumer isn't a moron; she is your wife.”

Funny Wife Marketing Witty Advertising Consumers Sarcasm Sarcastic Moron Adverts Copywriting Great Advertising Great Marketing Advertising And Marketing Business Marketing Vapid Consumer Protection

Author:David Ogilvy

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

Form Business Marketing Advertising Consumers Insightful Great Advertising Advertising And Marketing Advertisement Negative Advertising Industry

Author:David Ogilvy

“It takes a big idea to attract the attention of consumers and get them to buy your product. Unless your advertising contains a big idea, it will pass like a ship in the night. I doubt if more than one campaign in a hundred contains a big idea.”

Ifs Ideas Bigs Night Attention Economy Doubt Products Hundred Campaigns Ships Advertising Consumers Big Ideas

Author:David 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.”

Wife Products Advertising Agents Consumers Urges

Book:Confessions of an advertising man

Source: Confessions of an advertising man

“Can advertising foist an inferior product on the consumer? Bitter experience has taught me that it cannot. On those rare occasions when I have advertised products which consumer tests have found inferior to other products in the same field, the results have been disastrous.”

Has Beens Found Results Economy Fields Taught Products Tests Bitter Advertising Occasions Consumers Inferiors Rare Occasion Bitter Experience

Book:Confessions of an advertising man

Source: Confessions of an advertising man

“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.”

Ifs Wells Important Leadership Business Products Tests Advertising Consumers Vocabulary Marketplace Important Words

Book:Confessions of an advertising man

Source: Confessions of an advertising man

“Why do eight out of ten new consumer products fail? Sometimes because they are too new. The first cold cereals were rejected by consumers. More often new products fail because they are not new enough.”

Firsts Sometimes Enough Failing Products Failure Cold Ten Eight Consumers Rejected Cereal New Products

Author:David Ogilvy

“Consumers don't think how they feel. They don't say what they think and they don't do what they say.”

Thinking Feels Emotion Advertising Consumers

Author:David Ogilvy

“Consumers still buy products whose advertising promises them value for money, beauty, nutrition, relief from suffering, social status and so on.”

Stills Suffering Values Social Products Promise Advertising Consumers Relief Nutrition Social Status

Author:David Ogilvy

“If you tell lies about a product, you will be found out - either by the Government, which will prosecute you, or by the consumer, who will punish you by not buying your product a second time.”

Ifs Government Lying Found Products Consumers Buying

Author:David Ogilvy

“The consumer isn't a moron; she is your wife. You insult her intelligence if you assume that a mere slogan and a few vapid adjectives will persuade her to buy anything. She wants all the information you can give her.”

Ifs Want Giving Wife Information Assuming Mere Consumers Insult Slogans Moron Adjectives Copywriting Vapid

Author:David Ogilvy

“Unless your campaign has a big idea, it will pass like a ship in the night.”

Ideas Bigs Night Marketing Campaigns Ships Consumers Big Ideas Great Business

Author:David Ogilvy

“Never write an advertisement which you wouldn't want your own family to read. You wouldn't tell lies to your own wife. Don't tell them to mine. Do as you would be done by.”

Ifs Thinking Want Writing Done Government Would Be Lying Found Business Wife Honest Mines Products Advertising Consumers Buying Advertisements

Author:David Ogilvy

About the Author

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

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

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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

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