Last Tuesday, July 21, was the 10th anniversary of David Ogilvy's death.
Ogilvy was sometimes referred to as The Father of Advertising. A copywriter by trade, he was one of the founders of Ogilvy & Mather, now called simply Ogilvy. If you want to know more about him, you can look HERE and HERE.
An innovator (as well as a product of his times) Ogilvy famously said, "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."
In the early days of Ogilvy & Mather, if two employees married, the wife was expected to resign -- it was company policy.
Anyway, in 1983, I was a baby copywriter and totally in awe of Ogilvy. So when Ogilvy on Advertising was published, of course I bought a copy.
And when Ogilvy's book tour came to Boston, I went to hear him speak at the Boston Public Library and dutifully waited in line afterward to get him to sign my copy of his book.
I wonder what a signed first edition of Ogilvy on Advertising goes for these days? Probably not that much.
Ogilvy's fallen out of favor. If an advertising creative is to maintain his/her hipster aura, ridiculing Ogilvy is a requirement.
Which is stupid, I think. Sure, by today's standards his work is dated. But the man was a pioneer and he deserves respect.