David Ogilvy: We Sell or Else

[@GASSERGUY]

He was my mentor. I loved his 'Ogilvy on Advertising' book. I followed it religiously back when it came out and still do in today's digital age. It is perhaps more true today than ever before. He taught me well. Thank you David.

[@shaunrebello5129]

i would use it to clean my weed. it's a very practical book. Ogilvy in India is some tin tin level circumstances.

[@juricasimunovic3619]

What an honour that must be.

[@hughjanus5525]

“They’ve never written direct response, they’ve never tasted blood.” What a great line

[@chenlim2165]

Wow, I can see why Ogilvy is a legend. He would have conquered the Internet world.

[@Bpstv51]

Well, Ogilvy is still one of the biggest advertising agencies to this day

[@Robertwaynebly]

All he says in this video and elsewhere is 100% right.

[@randyrobinson5318]

Wow this is great Bob, Thanks

[@mmacintosh]

Hey Bob, I'm a big fan of your books, so it's great to randomly see a comment from you in here. I've got a question for both Bob and OglivyGroup01 -- and I promise I'm not trying to be difficult... this question comes out of genuine curiosity. Given that Oglivy is so focused on branding, and that it's popularized so many memorable brands over the years, how to Oglivy & Mather put incorporate direct response techniques in their work? I ask because I'm a copywriter myself, but I don't feel my knowledge of direct response is up to par (I mostly do content marketing and brand awareness campaigns)... so any tips either of you have on finding that balance would be great.

[@BilalAhmed-jn9qk]

What are the odds ... reading a great copywriter's comment about another from another era

[@bodylanguageconsultant]

Relevant 50 years ago just as much as it will be for the future. David Ogilvy was a brilliant guy

[@sylviaharris8870]

Thank AWAI for including this in the Accelerated Copywriting Program.This video made me feel that it is possible to make a living as a direct-response copywriter and that I will enjoy this stage of my life!

[@tevincollier6017]

sylvia harris hi I'm looking to take the course how has your success been with it?

[@ralphreeves822]

@ I started this course a week ago and honestly I'm hooked. So much information about the world of copywriting I never even knew that opened my eyes. Looking forward to learning the rest

[@ralphreeves9551]

Badoat Lyf will do!

[@kennethbryant6595]

Yes, I have also started my AWAI journey to become the best copywriter I can be. I need to remain positive and diligent to reach my dreams, which will be my biggest challenge. This old video has inspired me to stay focus and not to give up! It came at the right time for me. RIP Mr. Ogilvy

[@kennethbryant6595]

lol..I just realized I am writing under my sweet heart's account( typing on his computer)..I am Sammie76. He will be surprised if he starts getting replies through his phone :)...oh well..lol.

[@HunterMann]

Ogilvy was my first guru in the ad industry. In his time, he was more forward-thinking than most of today's "creatives". To those who are criticizing this film clip: It's about 35 years old. Try making your own similar video today in 2010, with all of your ideas & philosophy about what makes for a winning ad campaign. Now, imagine someone in the year 2045 looking at your video on KZbin and saying how Jurassic your thinking is. Reality: even by 2015 people will laugh at your video.

[@michaelburton1970]

This aged terrifically. Well said!

[@dcamv9598]

oh it's 2023 rn

[@tinytim8173]

Everything he said seems just as relevant today as it was back than and it might be even more correct today.

[@rahulbiswas-pq7fc]

Agreeing to your comment 20 years later…

[@naniehurley]

Isn’t it such a wonderful world we live in that we can hear his powerful words so many years later? Let them teach us his wisdom and let’s put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and keep DR going!

[@JulienMerat]

the last 30 secondes are very profund, emotional and incredible.. born in 1997 we are so so lucky, go launch facebook ads, google ads, long sales copy, on memorie on this legend

[@ladenemayville5468]

I loved the ending! Now that was powerful!! I wrote that powerful motivational message down and will also display where I can see it daily, "You face a Golden Future." Thank You, Mr. Ogilvy!

[@gabriellasan]

Direct response sounds like magic.

[@Reframer100]

Gabriele Muellenberg You want magic? - Look up "NLP" and begin your journey.

[@patmalone2546]

David Ogilvy was one of the greats. What a privilege to hear his voice and perspective on direct response.

[@ShellyMoreau]

No need for "creativity". Just sell the product without drawing too much attention to the product. Part of what Mr. Ogilvy was known and respected for.

[@Sixxiron]

"They've never tasted blood." Effin' Classic!!!

[@earthdate3495]

I wanna taste BLOOD!!!! They're gonna call me DRACULA!!!! (Or maybe just call me 'Money') :)

[@nickcee3639]

Thank you for sharing. In a sensory overloaded world it's hard to separate the wheat from chaff but this is pure gold.

[@khlebasmike]

Wow guys this is surreal. I'm feeling like a Tony Stark when he found a lost tape from his father sending a message to the future. I found that video in the right moment of my life and got a lot of answers from it. Thanks for posting it. And it's 100% true. Now we have Internet, more people and more money available + most marketers and business owners still sleeping on the power of the direct response copywriting

[@TemaFrank]

And he was even ahead of his time on the use of video to get his message out!

[@jayking3159]

Even more so today

[@studiobencivengamarcusbenc5272]

The guy was good and shrewd 🤠

[@jimayskie]

wow that was 16 yrs ago. Thanks for sharing this very insightful video❤

[@MustafaAbdulhusseinHatimali]

Brilliant Video.So much to learn.Whatever is said here is 100% True.Thank you AWAI for including this video in your course

[@mastits]

Rejoice in the fact that most people don't have a clue what makes a good ad ;)

[@lisagillette-martin2247]

I love how passionately he speaks about the value of direct response. He was quite a dynamic man, and very inspiring. Thanks, AWAI, for including this video in the training materials!

[@delldeaton]

As true today as it was when David Ogilvy graciously gave this exceptional advice. Yes, even in the midst of "new media."

[@HIDlarissaTERRY]

So wonderful you create this Chanel, thank you.

[@sunnisukumar]

What a fantastic speech on direct-response vs general (or brand) advertising. Yet we still have this chasm today.

[@redburtley6021]

"You know it to a dollar" is etched into my brain permanently! Yay!

[@blurbing511]

Living in a country where Direct Response isn't a thing, or at least respected, this video keeps me going.

[@alimshomakhov7750]

the man of DM, a must know and must read for everyone in this business

[@RistoNext]

Hello. Help me please. Where he talk about big idea?

[@phillefebvre7673]

You know to the dollar...Quite a well spoken gentleman

[@CherylKohan456]

What a wonderful piece to illustrate the importance of direct marketing.

[@patcasello-maddox821]

What a great history and summary of what works and what does not. I have to listen again to take some great quotes about the comparisons down as a reminder.

[@keithcrawford3761]

Thanks to AWAI to linking to this video, as a student of Marketing and Copy Writing, these lessons still matter, without sales you have no business

[@sheconquersbusiness]

What did I learn in the introduction to The Copywriting Course from AWAI? Benefits are a promise to the customer. So what's the strategy? Feature one prominent benefit and subordinate the rest.

[@lisalamendola]

thank you AWAI, excellent video.

[@sunnibaerwalde9774]

A brilliant "voice crying in the wilderness."

[@tinaphillips1382]

Great words, and I'm especially interested in when this was made (as in many years ago). I'm sure I'm not alone in frequently being entertained by ads, yet can't remember the company or product. Thanks!

[@RebeccaHuffineLondon]

It's always worth looking back to see how far you've come.

[@GraceEriksen]

All copywriters and art directors need to remember his wise words: The purpose of advertising is to sell, not entertain. Even after all these years, we can learn so much from him (just add a healthy measure of Bill Bernbach's radical creativity to the mix).

[@adrianliauw5941]

I love this 7 minute video. Very useful!

[@br1729]

What year is this? Any way to pin that at the top for everyone’s reference? Thanks

[@commentoria]

When was this clip made?

[@Etoainshrdly]

Late in his life. Figure late 1980s.

[@rodolforojas1762]

Hello, someone knows what year is this video? which is the source?

[@Etoainshrdly]

It was the late 1980s, although I don't recall which year. Ogilvy & Mather and what was then Ogilvy Direct had monthly screenings. David probably made this in his castle in France, called Touffou, for the troops. At this time, Ogilvy Direct was growing rapidly, while the general agency wasn't doing quite so well. There were resentments. Someone on what was then called the "general advertising" side might object that Direct was stealing "his" billings. At the same time, the general agency had strayed from some of David's principles. It's clear to see where David was coming out on this.

[@mosgoo]

Like the man said, "You have to taste blood" to understand. Direct Response reveals how simple we all are in what drives and motivates us to buy. You have to be in Direct Response Advertising / Marketing to understand what he is saying. With the ability to see the track the results, sometimes immediately, after it runs, it allows Direct Marketers and agencies to learn what works and doesn't and adjust at a rate that general advertisers have no concept about.

[@jpthedio]

Wow. This has so much value.

[@scottdoyle6690]

The simple gist here is that the same hyper-refined strategies and tactics you use for direct mail marketing equally apply for e-mail marketing, which is far and away the most effective online marketing tool we've got. It's rare someone works a pitch on me if I'm browsing facebook, but if I'm on a wicked author's email list when he launches a new book, and he's been sending me awesome shit for years, that's almost a guaranteed sale.

[@Dmedelivers]

He was want of the front runners for sure.

[@gaBehcuoDsuoitneterP]

The Father of Advertising.

[@manglyanzaw9541]

From the Accelerated program, into here. Thanks AWAI.

[@spencer1803]

Very interesting, everything he does is intentional, even the intro where he says "I wish I were with you, but I'm in India" this is like an delta status statement used to position as an authority. Most people haven't been to India but think "wouldn't that be nice, Ogilvy must be doing something right"

[@seangen]

This video seems out of date but his points are still relevant. General Advertising and Direct Marketing are two different tools in Marketing Communications. Each has its own strengths and limitations. However, advertising is less effective now because consumers are becoming smarter and wiser.

[@chansherly212]

question from a layman.. personally i tend to be drawn to ads that are really cool/creative/hilarious (which don't necessarily convey the benefit of the product), that's just me, which sort of advertising is that?

[@shubhamrawat1529]

If a big brand is doing that - it's cool . They can do anything. They have enough cash to be a long-term player. Direct response is often used to sell immediately. It's purpose is to sell and you can't risk creativity/hilarious when your goal is to sell to strangers.

[@quickbooksguru6306]

The transcript loaded here is mostly useless. Here is a better one: Transcript: David Ogilvy I wish I could be with you today in the flesh, as they say, unfortunately I'm in India. Ever been in India? It’s very hot. If you don’t mind I’m going to take off my coat. You know in the advertising community today, there are two worlds, your world of direct response advertising and that other world, the world of general advertising. These two worlds are on a collision course. You direct response people know what kind of advertising works and what doesn't work, you know to a dollar. The general advertising people don’t know. You know the two-minute commercials on television are more effective, more cost-effective than ten second commercials or thirty second commercials. You know that fringe time on television sells more than prime-time. In print advertising, you know that long copy sells more than short copy. You know that headlines and copy about the product and its benefits sell more than cute headlines and poetic copy. You know to a dollar. The general advertisers and their agencies know almost nothing for sure because they cannot measure the results of their advertising. They worship at the altar of creativity, which really means originality, the most dangerous word in the lexicon of advertising. They opine that thirty-second commercials are more cost-effective than two-minute commercials. You know they're wrong. In print advertising, they opine that short commercials sell more than long copy. You know they're wrong. They indulge in entertainment, you know they're wrong. You know to a dollar, they don’t. Why don't you tell them? Why don’t you save them their follies? For two reasons; first because you're impressed by the fact that they’re so big and so well paid and so well-publicized. You're even perhaps impressed by their reputation for creativity whatever that may mean. Second you never meet them. You inhabit a different world. But the chasm between direct response advertising and general advertising is wide. On your side of the chasm I see knowledge and reality. On the other side of the chasm, I see ignorance. You are the professionals. This must not go on. I predict that the practitioners of general advertising are going to start learning from your experience. They're going to start picking your brains. I see no reason why the direct response divisions of agencies should be separate from the main agencies. Some of you may remember when television people in agencies were kept separate wasn’t that idiotic? I expect to see the direct response people become an integral part of all agencies. You have more to teach them than they have to teach you. You have it in your power to rescue the advertising business from its manifold lunacies. When I was 25, I took a correspondence course in direct mail. I bought it out of my own pocket from the Dardnell Corporation in Chicago. Direct response is my first love and later it became my secret weapon. When I started Ogilvy & Mather in New York, nobody had heard of us. But we were airborne within six months and grew at record speed. How did we achieve that? By using my secret weapon, direct-mail. Every four weeks I sent personalized mailings to our new business prospects. I was always amazed to discover how many of our clients had been attracted to Ogilvy & Mather by those mailings. That was how we grew. Whenever I look at an advertisement in a magazine or newspaper I can tell at a glance whether the writer has had any direct response experience. If he writes short copy or literary copy it is obvious that he has never had the disciplines of writing direct response. If he has had that discipline, he wouldn't make those mistakes. Nobody should be allowed to create general advertising until he has served his apprenticeship in direct response. That experience will keep his feet on the ground for the rest of his life. You know the trouble with many copywriters and general agencies is that they don't really think in terms of selling. They've never written direct response. They've never tasted blood. Until recently, direct response was the Cinderella of the advertising world. Then came the computer and the credit card. And direct marketing exploded. You guys are coming to your own. Your opportunities are colossal. In the audience today, there are heads of some general agencies. I offer you this advice, insist that all your people, creative, media, account executives, that they're all trained in your direct response division. If you don't have such a division, make arrangements with a firm of direct marketing specialists to train your people. And make it a rule in your agency that no copy is ever presented to clients before it has been vetted by a direct response expert. Ladies and gentlemen, I envy you. Your timing is perfect. You’ve come into the direct response business at the right moment in history. You’re on to a good thing. For forty years, I've been a voice crying in the wilderness trying to get my fellow advertising practitioners to take direct response seriously. Today my first love is coming to its own. You face a golden future!

[@ElninoHanif]

Thank you!

[@alejandrojerez1492]

...and I thank you, too!

[@alejandrojerez1492]

Awesome, ad person!

[@elpiley]

Change direct response to digital and this works today.

[@theftking]

Thanks, but note that the captions on this video are auto-generated by a computer, which struggles due to the dated audio quality. It's not like someone wrote them out and just got them super wrong. Regardless, good of you to post. You know you could add these to the video yourself if the creator enables the option? That would be best.

[@brianmorris6523]

David Ogilvy wrote a handful of books in his lifetime. If you are a serious student of business you'll read them all. They're in book shops and libraries worldwide. If you have genuine difficulty I'll loan you my copies. They're well-fingered with heaps of margin notes and TO DO lists. I'd say my old copies are thus more valuable than any pristine edition. Call me for a chat. I'm in LinkedIn.

[@varsityeagle89]

Hello Mr. Morris, I'd be really interested in borrowing your books, and promise to ship them back! I Can even show you my ebay account. Regards Matt

[@susmitasarkar9704]

"NAMASKAR"( hello) Sir, i am Susmita. I lived in INDIA. I am very much interested to borrow your valuable notes. If it"s possible can you send the xerox copy of that? I WILL VERY THANKFUL TO YOU. I will send you the money u spend on xerox. I promise.

[@babaktheadman5516]

Brian Morris what is your linked profile I would love a copy of the unpublished David oligvy I don't have that one.

[@jimihendrixx11]

Brian Morris Hi Brian what is your link to your LinkedIn profile?

[@djwhitehouse82]

@chisaoboy you obviously know little about David Ogilvy - I suggest you read one of his books. He's listed on the copywriting page on Wikipedia under "famous copywriters" and he was a great advocate of direct response advertising.

[@starshrine7]

He said it so well!

[@adpublis]

What David tried to tell us (since the early '70s) to all the auto called creative community is... "STOP MAKING THOSE STUPID ADS AND FOCUS ON REPOSITIONATE THE COMPETITION MAKING THE PERSUASION YOUR OWN RELIGION WITHOUT USING THOSE DAMN POEMS. SO... TRY TO SELL A FOOD BRAND BEING A POET" Thanks Mentor....!!!!

[@ScottFasser01]

Great video and way ahead of his time (video and direct measurement!)

[@FaJeCliP]

To the 4 people who disliked this video: When David Ogilvy speakes, listen and agree. No much more to do

[@JustinPugsley]

What a great pitch!

[@ghtray]

@jcroshi Demostenes (great Greek orator) spoke to the people of Greece to raise up in revolt, hence a call to action to do something. You will find it in Ogilvy's book On Advertising (I believe) where Ogilvy mentions how you don't want to merely sound cute, like , but influence people to buy.

[@yonisali3879]

"I wish I could be with you today in the flesh as they say unfortunately I am in India have ever being in India ? Very hot " The way he started and phrased that question "ever being in India" Anybody who has spent time doing market research over the phone whether it is b2b or house calls trying to get ppl to answer questions when all they wanna do is hang up Will very much appreciate how the old timer still kept hold of his old tools even at such advanced age .. I bet it got everybody who has being to or lived in India watching answering in their heads..

[@yonis-kin7966]

💯

[@theaspenschoolofcopywritin2191]

Unfortunately, the heads of the big agencies have not taken his advice. They still believe in branding advertising and don't want to measure anything.

[@emuahemuah]

@chansherly212 the fact that you find an ad cool/creative/hilarious doesn't mean that you're going to buy the product which is the only purpose of advertising, if it doesnt' sell it isn't a good ad. Maybe it is art.

[@mrofficially1]

I like what he says some people with real money

[@raysfonexchange]

' Originality....the most dangerous word in the lexicon of advertising ' Uffffff!

[@ChristianSolerChichi]

It just seems to me that sometimes we use technology as a trial/error like"CREATIVE WOLRD FOR DUMMIES"my 1st Photography class we learned with the old schoolSLR &we took our own pictures to the dark room of course we r(most likely)going to shoot Digital but anyone can turn a digital camera on place it on automatic, not with the old School; you really have to know what you are doing same here people who can write successful, engaging, persuasive long copy for direct mail,can write anything

[@meaningfullscrap]

@chisaoboy i dont who u r or Wat do you but the man in the above picture is called father of modern advertising and is one personality who was also one of the forces in the modern industrial revolution but u must be gr8 then wat he is so wish u luck!!!!!

[@chrisk79]

I swear there's still people studying Ogilvy on Advertising and thinking it's still relevant today. We get it Dave you've left brained. Respect but glad this era is over.

[@shubhamrawat1529]

It is still relevant today.... You must have never tasted blood.

[@TheArtKartel]

Yes Ogilvy

[@katona187]

Study and live for ever!

[@gustavodost]

Un genio, que poder de comunicación, irrepetible.

[@jcroshi]

what does 'Let us marsh against Philip' mean?

[@dennisclark3759]

March...as in go to war. If you can motivate your country to go to war against a foe, he feels that is more impressive than people saying your words are "pretty"

[@jhanline]

Dang. I need a transcript of this video to study! I want to emulate the technique he uses in this video to write better. I'll own the world in less than a year if I can write like he speaks.

[@davidshillito]

The transcript is available under the video my friend, if you know where to look. See under the video where it says: +Add To Share More - click on More > Transcript

[@redburtley6021]

Not with any attitude like that.

[@FloridaLeisure]

"At 60 miles an hour the loudest noise in this new Rolls Royce comes from the electric clock" - pure genius, but the story of how he got to that headline was nothing but the result of hard work and studying his subject for months.

[@jasonrich4692]

And yet it was not until the 1990's that DRTV came of age in the UK via The Media Business Group (TMBG)

[@redburtley6021]

I can only wish that his predictions had come true. Very few companies use direct-response advertising.

[@WinstonSmithGPT]

Literally the entire internet is direct response. 😂😂😂

[@mldrake4052]

Great stuff.

[@whateverman2734]

Pioneer as a VLOGGER as well!

[@Vivares]

grande Ogilvy, grande!!

[@chisaoboy]

I respect your opinion, but you're wrong, my friend. Direct response advertising is a specialty that most general ad agencies know little about. Also, the mere fact that you said, "A Nike ad is a thing of beauty" shows that you fall into this category as well. Beauty is not a criteria for creating effective advertising. Your statement is one of an advertising novice. I don't blame you for your view... many people unfamiliar with the study of advertising hold a similar opinion.

[@jayking3159]

Beautiful

[@warmonotan]

Great to know indeed !

[@ambercrombie789]

You've got to read his bio. He has, literally, tasted blood. It is a must read.

[@timharry5168]

Thanks

[@soyjonarlopez]

Amazing

[@libernull]

totally agree.

[@mrjimmytwoshoes]

It sounds like Ogilvy is trying to teach people the basics before going onto "new media" such as television. But now that we are living in the future, does direct advertising still remain as important as Ogilvy says? When was the last time you looked at a letter in the mail box? What about spam?! Anyone care to make a comment? Reply or send me a message....

[@earthdate3495]

If it's not working, you'd think alot of it would have been stopped by now. What do you think?

[@shubhamrawat1529]

Direct Response ads can be run on TV, Radio and Social Media. Don't confuse Direct Response with Direct Mail.

[@adman9575]

dad

[@jimlaregina]

Read his book OGILVY ON ADVERTISING to see how much you're doing wrong in your promotions.

[@naiamermaid9600]

Sounds a little like the high chancellor in V for Vendetta

[@yonis-kin7966]

Seems like the old sport was more The smitten With his profession Imagine wat he Would have said About the the Internet

[@SillyGoose2024]

scuse me.....but do you have any grey poupon?

[@EasyAnderson]

Well the two dislikes prove that that there are at least two idiots. :) Either that or they are smart and don't want the word to get out that Direct Marketing rules.... :)

[@chrisk79]

Well direct response advertising is only as effective as the product is bad. You don't see the worlds top brands relying on direct response advertising. A Nike ad is a thing of beauty, an infomercial is a thing of shit.

[@theresalandry371]

I think there needs to be a better video made as this one is full of static

[@dennisclark3759]

In some ways, the static is a reminder of how long ago the video was made. I think he was born in 1900, so it is a good reminder of how much he was ahead of his time, a pioneer.

[@jabranehcini1674]

صلو على نبي الامة محمد خير الخلق صلى الله عليه و سلم

[@WinstonSmithGPT]

💩

[@RubberSoul80]

wow

[@timharry5168]

...they've never tasted blood...the Cinderella lol.What a Gee

[@marioronci5338]

im glad i converted to direct response i drank the kool aid of the generalised ad agencies for too long

[@dbarry76]

This video is way out of date. While there are a few exceptions, infomercials and the kinds of advertising that Ogilvy supports in this video are simply not effective anymore. People are too smart. Most will never buy anything from an infomercial because there is a 99.9% chance of the product being crap. Clients such as Nike, IBM and Coke spend millions of dollars a year on marketing research. Do you really think they haven't researched the value of direct response advertising?

[@shubhamrawat1529]

Direct Response is not for them lol. What he was saying is principles of direct response should be applied to general advertising. And every general advertiser should go through direct response first - so that he knows what a dollar is worth in advertising.

[@chisaoboy]

chrisk79 reveals in his few words that he knows absolutely nothing about direct response advertising.