Bad Advertising Unsells Your Product

It seems we are all engaged in the technology of advertising. Just as television changed the business in the 1950's, the Internet and Social Media will continue to revolutionize the delivery process. While we are all busy traveling at light speed to the next supernova of information, we should not forget that the basic principals of marketing have not made the same quantum shift. 100 years ago this year, David Ogilvy was born. With him came the philosophies of branding and marketing that continue to be successful today. This Oxford dropout, ex sous chef, and door-to-door salesman made an indelible mark on the advertising business. Possibly his heady work came as a result of the time Ogilvy spent working for George Gallop. David was an advocate of marketing research as the precursor to any campaign. Consider that at the age of 38, with no advertising experience he opened what was to become the largest advertising agency in the world. Silly sayings, reactionary ads and taunts at the competition were replaced with the art of building the brand. Built correctly, a brand can withstand the competition, the ravages of time–even technology. His prodigy, Ogilvy & Mather, grew to over 200 offices in 52 countries. If your interested in advertising, I would recommend you read “Ogilvy On Advertising”, study his body of work and that of his protégés. I find amazing similarities to the messages we are creating today.  For example, I love the Dos XX’s campaign “The most interesting man in the world”. But as I look back into David’s book I notice a tall, trim, handsome figure of a man in a Hathaway shirt being fitted for a custom suit. For his time, the man is perfect in every way with the exception of an eye patch over his right eye. What is this pirate doing in a clothing ad?  There is no explanation given.  The image is not explained but the mystique is created. He is “Possibly the most interesting man to ever put on a plain white dress shirt.” Like so many of his early creations, the Hathaway man became an icon and positioned the brand above all others. David Ogilvy was a print man. As television began to dominate the media, like new media has done today, his creative contribution to the agency diminished but the strategy of branding he established is still in alive and doing well. I cannot conclude without using my favorite Ogilvy quote–one, which serves are a reminder to those consumed by the technology and not the content of the message. “Bad advertising can unsell a product”.