“At 60 miles an hour the loudest noise in this new Rolls-Royce comes from the electric clock.” David Ogilvy wrote this headline in 1960 and it’s probably still the most famous ad from any Ogilvy agency. It’s celebrated for its creative insight, but for David Ogilvy what mattered most was its effectiveness. He later wrote, “It sold so many cars we dare not run it again. Our client’s production isn’t big enough,” adding with typical salesmanship, “Just think what would happen if Ford, Chrysler or General Motors hired Ogilvy, Benson & Mather.”
On June 23, Ogilvy agencies worldwide are celebrating the 100th anniversary of David Ogilvy’s birth, so we’ve been thinking about his life and legacy.
As a web content writer at DTDigital/Ogilvy Melbourne, what I find most impressive about Ogilvy’s famous Rolls-Royce ad is the process of its creation. Before putting pen to paper, Ogilvy spent three weeks talking with Rolls-Royce engineers and reading everything he could about the car and its customers.
I think David Ogilvy would have felt at home in a digital agency since research and testing is as essential to our creative methodology.
In 2011, Ogilvy would be the web writer who spends as much time in clients’ Google Analytics reports as any data specialist. He’d be the creative director who considered a #1 search ranking more impressive than any award show gold. And he’d be the account guy who insisted on spending time at call centres, sales meetings, research labs, user testing facilities and anywhere else the most compelling customer stories could be found.
Telling clients’ stories is what we do in the agency business, whether we’re creating 60 second spots or 140 character Tweets. David Ogilvy taught us how to tell these stories intelligently, respectfully and with customer experience insight at the centre of them all.
For more Ogilvy inspiration, visit the
DO100 site and follow the party on Twitter #DO100.