The headline is the 'ticket on the meat.' Use it to flag down readers who are prospects for the kind of product you are advertising.
David OgilvyRead
To advertisers: "Do not compete with your agency in the creative area. Why keep a dog and bark yourself?"
Interpretation
What this quote means
Agencies are hired for their creative expertise; don't undermine that by trying to take control of the creative process.
David Ogilvy's quote emphasizes the importance of trusting the expertise of your advertising agency. By attempting to manage the creative aspects yourself, you not only diminish the value of the agency you've hired but also risk ineffective advertisements. The metaphor of keeping a dog yet barking yourself highlights the absurdity of not allowing a trained professional to do what they do best.
Themes
AdvertisingCreativityAgencyTrustMarketing
In practice
Example use cases
In a marketing seminar discussing the role of agencies.
More from David Ogilvy
All quotes βOur business is infested with idiots who try to impress by using pretentious jargon.
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Some manufacturers illustrate their advertisements with abstract paintings. I would only do this if I wished to conceal from the reader what I was advertising.
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Much of the messy advertising you see on television today is the product of committees. Committees can criticize advertisements, but they should never be allowed to create them.
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The best ideas come as jokes. Make your thinking as funny as possible.
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Experience has taught me that advertisers get the best results when they pay their agency a flat fee. It is unrealistic to expect your agency to be impartial when its vested interest lies wholly in the direction of increasing your commissionable advertising.
David OgilvyRead
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