The Father of Advertising
The Father of Advertising
David Ogilvy is widely regarded as the ‘Father of Advertising’ for his vast, in depth insight on marketing and salesmanship, as well as for founding advertising behemoth Ogilvy & Mather. A look into the man’s compelling life provides a glimpse of what shaped one of the most influential minds in advertising.
He was born on the 23rd of June 1911, in the city of Surrey, England. From an early age, Ogilvy’s intelligence was quickly evidenced by his academic merits; for instance he earned numerous scholarships, the first of which was to Fettes College in Scotland. This was especially critical, as Ogilvy’s family struggles during the Depression of the 1920’s meant they were not able to pay for his educational endeavours. After graduating from Fettes, he earned another scholarship to study history at Christ Church, Oxford. However, he gave up on this degree half way instead opting for an apprenticeship at the Hotel Majestic in Paris as a chef. According to Ogilvy himself, this experience taught him discipline, and management skills. After his time at Hotel Majestic he returned to Scotland where he became a door-to-door salesman selling AGA cooking stoves. His salesmanship skills were so impressive that his employer at the time asked him to create an instruction manual for his peers. In 1935, ‘The theory and practice of selling the AGA cooker’ was published, and 30 years after that Fortune magazine would regard it as the best sales instruction manual ever produced. Upon reading the manual, Ogilvy’s elder brother Francis introduced a copy of the manual to his bosses at the advertising agency Mather and Crowther. He was immediately offered a position as account executive which he accepted without hesitation.
Ogilvy’s ingenuity was soon on display. As one story has it, a hotel owner visited the agency to promote the opening of his new premises. Unfortunately, his meagre budget of 500 pounds meant his entire marketing strategy would be constructed by newcomer Ogilvy. He proceeded to use the 500 pounds to purchase postcards advertising the hotel, and mailed them off to people he found in the telephone directory. The hotel’s inauguration was greeted with a full house.
In 1938, Ogilvy was sent to the United States after he convinced Mather & Crowther to send him there for experience. He first worked under George Gallup, a great influence on him, at the Audience Research Institute of New Jersey. The lessons learned under George Gallup’s tutelage like the importance of in depth research, and an adherence to reality would remain a prominent part of Ogilvy’s own work in the future.
In 1939, when World War 2 eventually broke out Ogilvy began working for the British Intelligence services in Washington, DC. Whilst there, he employed the Gallup technique, specifically working to discredit businessmen involved in supporting the Nazi’s. His theories were also later applied by President Eisenhower’s psychological warfare board in Europe between 1944 and 1945.
Shortly after the war Ogilvy retired onto a farm in Pennsylvania, immersing himself in the Amish way of life. In 1948 however, he relocated to Manhattan to re-enter the advertising game.
Upon his return to the advertising world he started a new agency titled: Ogilvy, Benson, and Mather (OBM) after being backed by his brother who ran Mather and Crowther at the time. Ogilvy possessed only $6000, and had never written any ad copy before starting his new agency. The fundamental principal of the agency revolved around how the function of advertising is to sell, and only through understanding the consumers could effective advertisements be created. He strongly believed in treating consumers as equals, and not as beings with inferior intelligence; an idea that was evident in the tone of so many advertising campaigns at the time.
Despite some struggles early on, the agency began to quickly gain traction. One of the most successful and significant campaigns churned out by Ogilvy was in the year 1950 for the Irish beer brand Guinness. ‘The Guinness guide to oysters’ was an idea highlighting the particular foods consumers of the stout indulged in. The genius of the ad lay in the subtlety with which the product was advertised. The ad was a huge hit, and the idea was later reused in similar ads like the Guinness guide to cheese, and game birds. The concept of the ad gave rise to what would later be termed Native Advertising.
Over the next 20 years, Ogilvy became revered as a juggernaut in the industry, planning several campaigns for brands like General Foods, Shell, Rolls-Royce and others. However, the agencies greatest achievement was realized when in 1953 an ad campaign designed for the Puerto Rican tourism board tripled tourist expenditure in the region. In the same year, Ogilvy also took majority control of the agency, i.e OBM.
Then in 1966, OBM was rebranded to Ogilvy & Mather International, and subsequently became the first advertising agency to go public on the London and New York Stock Exchanges. At this time, the company had 30 offices operating in 14 different countries.
In 1973, Ogilvy retired as Chairman of Ogilvy & Mather, and decided to move to France. Though no longer in control of daily operations, he continued to correspond with the company; changing the direction of the company even in retirement.
On July 21st 1999, at the age of 88, David Ogilvy died in his home near Bonnes in the Loire valley of France. In an incredibly rich, and storied career that spanned five decades, Ogilvy helped alter the landscape of American advertising, designing some of the most iconic ad campaigns in his time. Even today, the impact he had on the industry is still felt mainly via the four fundamental elements that defined his work. The ‘Big Idea’, professional discipline, meticulous research, and delivering on the promises made to clients.
