{"id":4304,"date":"2019-06-07T11:40:52","date_gmt":"2019-06-07T15:40:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/?p=4304"},"modified":"2021-03-10T11:48:09","modified_gmt":"2021-03-10T16:48:09","slug":"everybody-loves-ogilvys-rules-of-advertising-but-do-they-still-apply","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/originals\/everybody-loves-ogilvys-rules-of-advertising-but-do-they-still-apply\/","title":{"rendered":"We All Love Ogilvy\u2019s Rules of Advertising. But Do They Still Apply?\ufeff"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time: <\/span> 7<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>\n

David Ogilvy is a legend in the world of advertising. Often referred to as the \u201cFather of Advertising,\u201d Ogilvy’s rules of advertising paved the way for how we think about branding, big ideas, and creativity today. Guys like Don Draper in Mad Men<\/em> are modeled after men like David Ogilvy and the era of advertising in which he reigned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though many of his most iconic quotes and platitudes originated from the middle of the 20th century, they\u2019re foundational enough to still be applicable today. Sure, advertising has changed a lot since then\u2014Ogilvy never had to consider what Facebook\u2019s rapidly changing algorithms would mean for his company\u2019s media buyers, or how Instagram influencers would fit into the budget. So, how well do his ideas hold up in 2019? Let\u2019s investigate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. \u201cI could have positioned Dove as a detergent bar for men with dirty hands, but chose instead to position it as a toilet bar for women with dry skin. This is still working 25 years later.\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Verdict: <\/strong>Holds up<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those of you familiar with Mad Men<\/em> are also familiar with the sexist undertones (and overtones!) of advertising in the 50s, 60s, and, you know, 2019. We\u2019re probably not going to get very far in analyzing mid-20th-century advertising without acknowledging that many campaigns would not hold up today. (And that\u2019s a good thing.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But there\u2019s a more general message in Ogilvy’s rule: zig when your competitors zag. One brand that has taken this approach is Billie<\/a>. Billie is a start-up that sells razors, body lotion, shave cream, and body wash\u2014but they\u2019re no Gillette. In fact, there are several intentional elements to their branding that makes sure you know it. First, they refer to themselves as \u201cthe new body brand,\u201d intended to \u201cmake a daily routine a little more delightful and a lot more affordable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In stark comparison to other brands in the shaving category, their ads feature hair. Rather than buttery smooth calves, we see armpits with hair. Instead of demure poses sans razor, we see users shaving their big toes. But they make it clear: Billie makes products for those who want to shave\u2014or not. And when competing with behemoths that have been around forever, playing your own game makes more sense than copying theirs. Brands can learn from Billie by strategically positioning themselves as the antidote to their competitors\u2019 pitch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. \u201cIt seems to me you should use their language, the language they use every day, the language in which they think.\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Verdict<\/strong>: Holds up<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ve probably heard the copywriting advice to \u201cwrite at a seventh or eighth grade level.\u201d The concept isn\u2019t rocket science: simple, clear writing prevails when you\u2019re hoping to reach a general audience who doesn\u2019t plan on giving your subway ad much attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But it isn\u2019t just about legibility. It\u2019s also about tone. Oatly\u2019s campaign<\/a> is an example of brand voice that matched their audience without trying to play it too cool. Their self-deprecating tone is spot on for their target: millennials who\u2019ve grown up being bombarded with marketing from every direction. Plenty of brands borrow Gen-Z slang (your brand is not, and never will be bae<\/em>) and believe painting an Instagrammable mural outside their store is an effective social strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Instagram.com\/notesofberlin<\/a> <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

But if you\u2019re able to remember what it\u2019s like to be a customer, you\u2019d remember that ads are, for the most part, annoying. Brands can take a page from Oatly\u2019s book by talking to<\/em> prospective customers, not down to them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. \u201cI do not regard advertising as entertainment or an art form, but as a medium of information.\u201d <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Verdict: <\/strong>Outdated<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Actually, the line between advertising and entertainment is more blurred than ever. Branded content is everywhere you look and product placement has never been slicker or more ubiquitous\u2014from music video product placement to co-branded TV shows and podcasts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the best examples in recent history is The Lego Movie<\/a>\u2014a star-studded blockbuster with a 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, $469 million gross, and nominations from the Academy Awards and the Golden Globes. And then Lego experienced a product shortage<\/a> following the film\u2019s release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

It wasn\u2019t sticking a Pepsi into a sitcom or paying for Starsky & Hutch to drive your Gran Torino. Lego let the filmmakers run wild<\/a> with how they portrayed the brand, allowing for more creativity and an unexpected result. The brand met the youths where they were: screens, not toy store aisles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. \u201cI have never written an advertisement in the office. Too many interruptions. I do all my writing at home.\u201d <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Verdict: <\/strong>Holds up…sort of<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The working from home debate rages on today! Ogilvy\u2019s thinking does track (a Stanford study<\/a> found an enormous productivity boost of working from home). But there are a few updates. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Working from home sounds better the more we study it. It can boost employee morale, collaboration, and retention, as well as save the company money, according to Forbes<\/a>. But, it can conversely lead to<\/a> feelings of isolation, a lack of boundaries for when employees are actually on and off the clock, and a drop in creativity. David Ogilvy could probably write deep into the night, but lesser souls might start looking for a nap time around 3pm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And again, when most people talk about how much they like working at home, they\u2019re really talking about how much they like not having people interrupt them for meetings all day. And maybe not having to pay for a dog walker. So maybe just schedule fewer meetings and make some space for a pooch or two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. \u201cThe more informative your advertising, the more persuasive it will be.\u201d <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Verdict: <\/strong>Holds up<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a common lesson in any Principles of Marketing<\/a> basics class to learn that \u201cpersuasive\u201d and \u201cinformative\u201d are two separate types of advertising. But the reality is much closer to what Ogilvy had in mind\u2014less telling you why you should do something, and more showing you something so that you\u2019ll take action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take the Trash Isles<\/a> pollution awareness campaign for example. AMV BBDO created this multiple Cannes Grand Prix winner, which set off to educate the world about the realities of ocean waste through a clever mix of PR, media, and design. By declaring a country-sized patch of trash in the middle of the Pacific Ocean an official country, the agency made a statement that governments and people just couldn\u2019t ignore.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Their message was simple: the amount of trash floating in the ocean is as large as the country of France. But sometimes even a singular, informative message can be powerful. 193 countries at the following UN conference pledged to tackle the \u201cglobal crisis of plastic in the oceans\u201d and search volumes on Google for the term \u201cplastic pollution\u201d went up 154% in the nine months following Trash Isles\u2019 launch according to Campaign<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brands should use this case study as a model for developing a forthright, but powerful message when strategizing a persuasive campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. \u201cAdvertising people who ignore research are as dangerous as generals who ignore decodes of enemy signals.\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Verdict: <\/strong>Holds up, with a caveat<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Research can provide crucial information about practically every step of the marketing process. Something important that we can glean from research is insights about our target audience\u2014 from their values to their demographics and psychographics. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

David Ogilvy would have loved the data of the digital advertising data\u2014you can learn exactly who your customer is and learn exactly how different copy, images, and landing pages affect their decisions. However, it\u2019s easy to take all of this useful information and create something that reflects all of the quantitative data out there, and yet still doesn\u2019t resonate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A notable example is when Dove fumbled<\/a> their body positivity messaging. Their decade-long \u201creal beauty\u201d campaign was widely embraced by the public. That is, until they released \u201creal beauty bottles\u201d\u2014a collection of six differently sized (from svelte to pear) body soap containers to demonstrate that \u201cthere is no perfect shape.\u201d Except, some shapes were more perfect than others and proved to be more functional and easy to handle in a slippery shower. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The research might have suggested that, since one campaign around body positivity worked, so too would another. But you don\u2019t need data to see the difference between the two. You just need common sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. \u201cMany people\u2014and I think I am one of them\u2014are more productive when they\u2019ve had a little to drink. I find if I drink two or three brandies, I\u2019m far better able to write.\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Verdict<\/strong>: Outdated<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although many agencies still have in-office bars or beer fridges, drinking on the job is becoming increasingly infrequent as we stray further from the three-martini lunch <\/em>era. Drinking culture in advertising land is still pervasive<\/a>\u2014with negative effects lingering like a hangover on a Friday morning. But millennials are drinking less<\/a> in general. And you know what? The ad campaigns still get made.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ernest Hemingway liked to write drunk and edit sober, or so he’s quoted as saying anyway, but here\u2019s a reminder for every young copywriter: you are not Ernest Hemingway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8. “When a crisis keeps [the people in my agency] working all night, their morale is high for weeks.” <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Verdict<\/strong>: Outdated<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI feel so motivated right now!\u201d said no one ever the morning after working until 1 a.m. on a pitch. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A 2018 study<\/a> from the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health found that women who worked extra-long hours (55 and up) were more likely to experience increased depressive symptoms, and the same effect was found for both men and women who had to work weekends. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

9 . “The product must be one which we would be proud to advertise.” <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Verdict: <\/strong>Holds up<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bothersome clients are inevitable, and sure, you probably won\u2019t be totally psyched for every single assignment. But if your company\u2019s values no longer align with either the product, service, or agency you\u2019re representing \u2014 it might whittle away at your morale before you even notice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A recent scenario was the case of Papa John\u2019s<\/a> getting fired by their agency, Laundry Service, after founder John Schnatter used a racist term during a conference call. That comment, among others, disturbed many people on the call, and Laundry Service\u2019s CEO terminated the contract shortly thereafter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Companies and agencies should hold their clients to the same level of accountability as they hold their own employees and stakeholders. And if your moral compass isn\u2019t pointing you one direction, look to your future and think, \u201cWill the future client of our dreams want to work with the same agency representing Papa John\u2019s?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

10. \u201cOn the average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy. When you have written your headline, you have spent eighty cents out of your dollar.\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Verdict: <\/strong>Holds up <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ogilvy was a headline hound because he knew people had short attention spans. He\u2019s even more right today. And there are more places than ever that this holds true. Email subject lines, blog posts, and Facebook ads all give you a headline\u2019s worth of words to garner attention. And so spending time crafting (and testing) the perfect headlines is going to be better spent than just about anywhere else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everything is getting shorter<\/a>. But that doesn\u2019t mean you should be spending less time crafting the right message. It just means those headlines are even more important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
David Ogilvy is a legend in the world of advertising. Often referred to as the \u201cFather of Advertising,\u201d Ogilvy’s rules of advertising paved the way for how we think about branding, big ideas, and creativity today. Guys like Don Draper…<\/div>\n

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