Ogilvy on Advertising' is a must for those considering advertising and marketing
I belong to the generation that read books when it was young, and continues to read (sometimes on the Kindle) as it ages.
I read books lying down, in the loo, standing in queue; even as I watch a
cricket match. It is hardly surprising that I wear thick spectacles!
All our knowledge came from the printed word as the computer and the
Internet were unknown to us. The library was a hallowed place as it
housed some of the most exotic and expensive books that people of my age
and socio-economic background could not possess.
Madras, where I grew up, was infernally hot (quite unlike these days
where it is oppressively wet) and the air-conditioned library offered
cool refuge to people like me who had only experienced the AC in places
like theatres and libraries!
Generational gap
I suspect it does as it is reared on the Internet and swamped with
400-word ad copies and listicles on “Five things you need to know about
Chennai rains” and so on. My generation grew up reading voluminous books
and long copies, and always loved it.
In fact, I can categorically say that I entered advertising because I
read books on advertising that took me on a magical guided tour. These
books made me yearn for the life of a dream merchant. One such book,
that also made a big difference to advertising in India at least, was
written by David Ogilvy, the founder of the hugely successful agency
that is now Ogilvy and Mather.
While I don’t have the numbers to prove it, I can say with a fair amount
of certainty that more people came into advertising because of David
Ogilvy and his writing than any other advertising personality.
His first book was Confessions of an Advertising Man, which
younger readers may or may not have had the chance to read. But one book
that most people in advertising must have read, or at least should
read, is Ogilvy on Advertising.
Ogilvy’s books on advertising made a profound impression on me in my
youth, though today I might have a slightly different view on his
writing and, more importantly, his style of advertising that spawned a
hugely successful global agency.
Ogilvy came from an interesting background. He started as a chef and did
several things before he became (arguably) the most famous copy writer
of that time and also launched a hugely successful agency called Ogilvy,
Benson and Mather. In those days agencies proudly sported the names of
its founders on their walls whether it was J Walter Thompson or Doyle
Dale Bernbach.
The business of advertising
Ogilvy had a style of writing that was direct and unequivocal. He was a
successful practitioner who had built brands and he told you what
worked.
“People don’t buy from a clown,” he had said. But decades later we know
that the most watched ads (even if they are difficult to execute) are
humorous. These ads — and not the long, boring ones that lecture — are
the ones that are shared on social media.
He wrote long body copies like the much celebrated ad for Rolls Royce:
“At 60 miles an hour the loudest noise in this new Rolls-Royce comes
from the electric clock”. I have never travelled in a Rolls Royce, nor
is it likely that I will, but I cannot believe that could be true. But
the ad worked. He emphasised the importance of research. And his ad “The
Man in the Hathaway shirt” was a landmark in image advertising.
Today, I might differ on some points that Ogilvy makes in his books, but
there is no questioning the authenticity or authority of the writer’s
convictions. I urge you to read this book if you are considering
advertising and marketing.
The world of Internet
Today, the Internet is the source of all information. I often
half-humorously say that the Tamil proverb “Matha, Pitha, Guru Deivam”
(translated as your mother, father and guru are God) has become “Matha,
Pitha, Google Deivam”.
I have a slight problem if the Internet is considered the only or
primary source of information as many people think that whatever appears
online is gospel truth. This need not be the case, as just about anyone
can post anything online. There is no rigour or fact-checking involved
when things are posted online, something which is necessary while
writing a book. This is why I request today’s youngsters to go the
original source, books, and start with Ogilvy on Advertising. And if you want a second suggestion, read mine: One land, one billion minds!
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