David Ogilvy: We Sell or Else

Renowned Advertising guru David Ogilvy gives a brief speech on the importance of direct marketing.

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{ 25 comments… read them below or add one }

chisaoboy November 20, 2008 at 1:14 am

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

gustavodost December 3, 2008 at 10:43 am

Un genio, que poder de comunicación, irrepetible.

tommassi11 December 10, 2008 at 4:13 pm

what years did Ogilvy record this video? please..

chrisk79 December 12, 2008 at 11:53 pm

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.

coldiron7777 December 16, 2008 at 7:03 am

David understood SELLING. Most salespeople don’t understand selling, let alone ad poets.

libernull December 23, 2008 at 5:19 pm

totally agree.

chisaoboy January 24, 2009 at 5:33 pm

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.

soccermad81 February 3, 2009 at 12:26 am

All advertisements should follow his Mantra “We Sell or Else!”

Vivares1 February 21, 2009 at 10:28 am

grande Ogilvy, grande!!

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rbx937385 May 26, 2009 at 2:13 pm

He can’t be here today, Because He’s Dead!

WilmerDow June 13, 2009 at 5:33 am

Nice try. Keep it up check out esteembpo + com for social media marketing. bgcv

dbarry76 July 2, 2009 at 6:31 pm

This video is way out of date.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?

seangen July 23, 2009 at 8:52 pm

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.

davedohno August 4, 2009 at 12:11 pm

Nike, IBM, and Coke execs don’t know a thing about direct response. They use institutional advertising — which is unmeasurable.
They use advertising agencies, which charge a portion of ad spend budget — millions — for no result.s.

jonnyp27 August 16, 2009 at 10:26 pm

The things Ogilvy is talking about in this video and in his books Ogilvy on Advertising and Confessions of an Adman are more relevant today than they were 10 years ago. Why? The internet, Measurable ROI, and research on consumer behavior allow market researchers and advertisers to know precisely, how effective their online advertising is, what sells and what doesn’t. Its a renaissance for the type of advertising Hopkins and Ogilvy advocated. Online, Interactive, isn’t it all direct response.

jimlaregina August 28, 2009 at 8:30 am

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

mj1181 October 2, 2009 at 12:49 pm

“No one should be allowed to advertise until they learn direct response” Amen

tombee2 February 26, 2010 at 8:45 am

I don’t this that’s strictly true, and I don’t think Ogilvy – the man credited with the creation of the ‘Brand Image’ – would agree with you either. In his own words: “Generally speaking, the brand with the most favourable image has the biggest market share.”
You name, arguably, the biggest companies in the world today, so they must be getting some results. Most of us buy with our hearts – not our heads.

MarketingBeyondAds March 22, 2010 at 5:10 pm

Yes, obviously a outdated video, but some very relevant advice. Ogilvy talks about persuasive headlines that speak to the benefit of the product or service rather than headlines that are cute or poetic. Still too many advertisers today worshiping at the alter of creativity.

PeterTheMadCow April 3, 2010 at 3:27 pm

wow…what a poet

djwhitehouse82 April 7, 2010 at 7:27 am

@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.

metabinltd June 1, 2010 at 5:36 am

This is where there is no choice on the web – If you try to use General Advertising online you are wasting your time and money.

Fo0ji June 4, 2010 at 12:30 am

David Olgivy kicks ass.

chansherly212 July 15, 2010 at 8:25 am

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?

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