"Confessions of an Advertising Man" by David Ogilvy was recommended to me by a wonderful teacher of mine. Ogilvy has been called the 'father of modern advertising' and praised for his genius, so I was really excited to read his book.
Ogilvy's book is full of opinions, tips, quotes, etc. most of which I enjoyed thoroughly. As I read, I highlighted points I found particularly enlightening or humorous and found myself learning a couple new words. I've always thought that as a voracious reader I've cultivated a rich vocabulary, where others who do not enjoy reading have not (like those terms?). But anyways, I think this is a good read for anyone hoping to get into advertising.
Although I enjoyed this short read, it is a bit outdated and I do not agree with all of Ogilvy's points of view. It was originally published in 1963, with a few updates over time. As were the times back then, Ogilvy portrays the only consumer as 'your wife' and her buying habits. I understand that things have changed since then, so it was amusing at times but it can also come across as sexist and insulting. The only reason I'd like to stand up for Ogilvy here is because he describes 'your wife' as savvy and wishes there were more women in the business (which was all male at that point). I think that for the times, Ogilvy was rather forward thinking when it concerns women and he knew that they ran the house, so of course you should advertise to them!
"The consumer is not a moron. She is your wife. Don't insult her intelligence." (18)
And certainly, if Ogilvy were around today he would probably change a few things in his book. Especially considering tv advertising...
One opinion I very much disagree with is his view on 'entertaining' advertisements. Multiple times, he states that ads are not supposed to be advertising, they should express the facts and sell a point. I think that nowadays, facts aren't enough. Ogilvy hated the word 'creative' and I'm tempted to agree, but you have to have something to stand out. Because we see so many ads a day, the ones that entertain or shock us tend to be what we remember. And when people are already brand loyal, convincing people to switch products is nearly impossible.
At one point, Ogilvy references Dr. Frank Barron at the University of California's Institute of Personality Assessment and his opinion on creative people:
"They see things as others do, but also as others do not...They have more contact than most people do with the life of the unconscious - with fantasy, reverie, the world of imagination." (39-40)
Ogilvy balances his clients like he would multiple wives:
"...successful polygamy depends upon pretending to each spouse that she is the only pebble on your beach." (80)And tolerates genius:
"...mediocre men recognize genius, resent it, and feel compelled to destroy it." (104)Lastly, I picked some quotes from the book that particularly stood out to me:
"You aren't advertising to a standing army; you are advertising to a moving parade." (115)
"It is tragically easy to be stampeded into change." (117)
Thanks for reading and consider purchasing Ogilvy's book! (the library is also a fantastic option) There's one other book from 1983 and his Autobiography too! Maybe I'll get to those eventually...
