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
What you say in advertising is more important than how you say it.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The content of advertising messages holds greater significance than the stylistic presentation.
David Ogilvy emphasizes that the message conveyed in advertising carries more weight than the methods used to express that message. In a world saturated with promotional content, it is the clarity, relevance, and impact of the words chosen that ultimately resonate with the audience and drive successful engagement.
Themes
AdvertisingMessageCommunicationContentMarketing
In practice
Example use cases
During a marketing seminar, you could quote Ogilvy to emphasize the importance of focusing on impactful messaging.
More from David Ogilvy
All quotes →Our business is infested with idiots who try to impress by using pretentious jargon.
David OgilvyRead
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.
David OgilvyRead
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.
David OgilvyRead
The best ideas come as jokes. Make your thinking as funny as possible.
David OgilvyRead
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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