DISQUS

Edward · 10 months ago

Definitely going to go out there and buy that book Jason. David Ogilvy has to be one of the most influential minds of the century! Never can and never will forget that line from the Rolls Royce campaign, ever!

- Edward J

JasonFalls · 10 months ago

Enjoy the read, Edward. If you're fond of Ogilvy, you'll enjoy the book. I learned a good deal about him and about advertising from it.

Beth Harte · 10 months ago

Thanks for the insights Jason...looks to be an interesting read.

JasonFalls · 10 months ago

'tis. And you're welcome, Beth. Thanks for stopping by.

Tabitha "Tabz" Smith · 10 months ago

Fantastic, I'm going to have to find this book. I love his quote on not lying to my wife, it's so true. If advertising and PR could only adopt that into it's core being.

JasonFalls · 10 months ago

It should be easy to find. I saw it at Barnes & Noble this weekend. Enjoy!

Steve Gerl · 10 months ago

This book is in the que of things to read. And I think that ads have changed since Ogilvy's time. We've gone from the man in the Hathaway shirt to someone getting hit in the groin with a snow globe. This shift could be at the root of the problem.

JasonFalls · 10 months ago

Yeah, Steve, I think Ogilvy would be a bit dismayed at most advertising today because A) It doesn't consider the intelligence of the consumer and B) It doesn't sell. I think Doritos ads are funny, but I don't want to go eat Doritos as a result of them. The book points out Ogilvy's concern with advertising toward the end of his life (mid-1990s) and that's pretty much where he seemed to stand. You'll enjoy the book. Thanks for commenting.

dowelltaggart · 10 months ago

There is so much advertising today that people tune it out. In order for it to work there has to be a huge benefit feature (like FREE) or an entertainment option (like the glass ball going through the vending machine). I HATE email now because of all the spam (and I have a lot of filters). I change the channels during commercials (except during the Super Bowl) because they are a waste of time. Yes advertising has changed.

CT Moore · 10 months ago

With the way that media evolves so quickly now, I wonder if Ogilvy would've ever even succeeded in advertising today....

jaybaer · 10 months ago

If you've read "Ogilvy on Advertising" (and you should), this is a must read. It'll be hitting my Kindle soon. Maybe on the way to SXSW soon.

I don't know that social media has risen because of changes in messaging, or even consumers' desire to get info from their "peers" instead of companies. More so, the absolute erosion of conglomerated audience (except for Super Bowl and Oscars) has made marketing a hyper-targeted game, rather than a mass-media game.

I read recently (sorry, forgot the source) that it took 6 TV commercials in 1960 to reach essentially the entire American consumer population. Now, it takes 150+.

The idea of finding your target audience and communicating with them on a one to many basis is a mathematical fallacy. Social media, search, targeted banners, mobile, experiential out-of-home, good direct mail, and a number of other tactics have filled that void.

Geoff Livingston · 10 months ago

I think Ogilvy would have gotten it. He was so into the mind of the customer that social media to him would have been the ultimate canvassing and research mechanism. Just my two cents.

Mark Story · 10 months ago

Dude, Bullshit bingo alert. You said "paradigm shift."

MBB · 10 months ago

Hey Jason. Just got this book myself and looking forward to tucking into it. "Confessions of An Advertising Man" is already one of my favourites which I share around gleefully.

In reality I don't think there are alot of ad agencies who seem to listen to Ogilvy's wisewords. One particular favourite is "A good advertisement is one which sells the product without drawing attention to itself.". Why has advertising changed so much? Why is a gorilla a suitable advert for a Dairy Milk? Why is Dancing suitable for showing off T-Mobile?

Who knows. However, in both these cases the ad agencies have still managed to create adverts which have flown, been talked about, and in both cases caused some of the most successful campaigns in current memory.

Perhaps Sir David needs a little bit of updating for century 21? Anyone fancy joining me in disecting and reapplying?

M