I know what you’re saying. “Ogilvy on Advertising? Really? Isn’t that a little…I don’t know…OLD SCHOOL?”

Yeah, sure it is. But that doesn’t mean that there isn’t something to be learned here.

In his time, David Ogilvy was ahead of it. You could  say that his thoughts on direct response advertising (check out this video for a taste of his passion on this subject) are perhaps partially responsible for the morass of measurability that the advertising industry currently finds itself in. Consider the classic quote from John Wanamaker: “Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don’t know which half.” Ogilvy was seemingly obsessed with figuring out which half it was…and wanted to eliminate it.

I borrowed this classic advertising tome from one of my agency’s media department directors. I think I shocked her a bit when I spied it on her shelf and enthusiastically asked if I could borrow it. You see, I’m a classically trained clarinetist, not a classically trained advertising executive. But I’m also a huge believer that one must be a student of history.

In my opinion, Ogilvy on Advertising, first published in 1985, has held up remarkably well. Granted, some of the interior “how-to” chapters seem woefully out of date. Yet the majority of the creative examples he cites throughout the book are beautifully timeless, offering a gracious sense of appreciation for great work from his colleagues and not just the products of his own shop.

What struck me is that in a certain sense, the more things change, the more they stay the same. Many reading this review will now immediately point their finger towards their computer screen and shout “A-ha! That’s exactly the problem with advertising these days!” I can’t say that I necessarily disagree. But every craft, every profession, has inherent universal truths. As a copywriter by training, Ogilvy had an undeniable knack for cutting to the heart of these truths … and in very quotable ways.

Advertising as art?

I do not regard advertising as entertainment or an art form, but as a medium of information.

The role of consumer research in advertising?

Advertising people who ignore research are as dangerous as generals who ignore decodes of enemy signals.

(And his corollary to that one…)

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.

Stealing ideas?

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.

What is creative?

If it doesn’t sell, it isn’t creative.

If you’re a book hound, always ready to pick up the latest book by Joseph Jaffe, Chris Brogan, Alex Bogusky, Malcom Gladwell, Seth Godin or whoever is the flavor of the moment, then it probably wouldn’t hurt to throw Ogilvy on Advertising into the mix.

Why?

Context, dear readers. Context.