Home / Quotes / Quote by David Ogilvy

Quote by David Ogilvy

“If you can’t advertise yourself, what hope do you have of advertising anything else?”

Quote by David Ogilvy

Author

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. more

You May Also Like

“I once used the word OBSOLETE in a headline, only to discover that 43 per cent of housewives had no idea what it meant. In another headline, I used the word INEFFABLE, only to discover that I didn't know what it meant myself.”

Knows Ideas Used No Idea Cents Headlines Obsolete Housewife Ineffable

Author:David Ogilvy

“You have only 30 seconds in a TV commercial. If you grab attention in the first frame with a visual surprise, you stand a better chance of holding the viewer. People screen out a lot of commercials because they open with something dull. When you advertise fire-extinguishers, open with the fire.”

People Ifs Firsts Chance Attention Fire Tvs Surprise Screens Visuals Dull Seconds Viewers Tv Commercial Fire Extinguishers

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

“Encourage innovation. Change is our lifeblood, stagnation our death knell.”

Innovation Stagnation

Book:The Unpublished David Ogilvy

Source: The Unpublished David Ogilvy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

“I never assign a product to a writer unless I know that he is personally interested in it. Every time I have written a bad campaign, it has been because the product did not interest me.”

Knows Has Beens Interest Written Products Campaigns

Author:David Ogilvy

“Never use tricky or irrelevant headlines… People read too fast to figure out what you are trying to say.”

People Trying Use Figures Irrelevant Tricky Headlines

Author:David Ogilvy

“Big ideas are usually simple ideas.”

Ideas Bigs Simple Big Ideas Simple Ideas

Author:David Ogilvy

“Tell the truth, but make the truth fascinating.”

Telling The Truth Fascinating

Author:David Ogilvy

“I admire people with gentle manners who treat other people as human beings.”

People Humans Human Beings Treats Admire Manners Gentle

Book:The Unpublished David Ogilvy

Source: The Unpublished David Ogilvy