Quotes and anectdotes from the wise to the foolish, and the courageous to the drunk

David Ogilvy Copywriter

  • Gender: Male
  • Citizenship: United States
  • Born: Jun 23, 1911
  • Died: Jul 21, 1999

David Mackenzie Ogilvy, CBE, was an advertising executive who was widely hailed as "The Father of Advertising". In 1962, Time called him "the most sought-after wizard in today's advertising industry."

Good copy can't be written with tongue in cheek, written just for a living. You've got to believe in the product. good

The advertisers who believe in the selling power of jingles have never had to sell anything. power

In the modern world of business, it is useless to be a creative, original thinker unless you can also sell what you create. business

I do not regard advertising as entertainment or an art form, but as a medium of information. art

Leaders grasp nettles. leadership

The consumer isn't a moron she is your wife. business

Our business is infested with idiots who try to impress by using pretentious jargon. business

The secret of long life is double careers. One to about age sixty, then another for the next thirty years. age

Advertising reflects the mores of society, but it does not influence them. society

Never write an advertisement which you wouldn't want your family to read. You wouldn't tell lies to your own wife. Don't tell them to mine. family

The best ideas come as jokes. Make your thinking as funny as possible. best & funny