1. 1-Sentence-Summary:
1.1. Confessions Of An Advertising Man is the marketing bible of the 60s, written by “the father of advertising,” David Ogilvy to inspire a philosophy of honesty, hard work and ethical behavior in his industry.
2. Favorite quote from the author:
2.1. "Where people aren't having any fun, they seldom produce good work." - David Ogilvy
3. 3 lessons:
3.1. Only sell stuff you believe in.
3.1.1. If all marketers lived by this mantra, and nothing else, we would not live in a world where marketing is considered as sleazy and has a negative connotation right from the get-go.
3.1.2. The vast majority of players is looking for the quick fix, the sale today, instead of playing the long game, which results in a lot of ads for products, which probably shouldn’t be sold at all.
3.1.3. One of David’s most famous quotes is this:
3.1.3.1. “The customer is not a moron. She’s your wife.” ~ David Ogilvy
3.1.4. He believed in soft-spoken advertisements, delivering the facts, not the fiction and never ever lying to people in your advertisements.
3.1.4.1. Stand 100% behind the product in question, so you can write ads without lying – ads that you’d be comfortable with, even if your own family read them.
3.1.5. This is also what led David to only accept accounts for which he truly believed he could outperform the previous agency.
3.1.5.1. In marketing, your north star should be integrity.
3.2. In the end, ads are meant to sell, not to entertain. Focus on the basics.
3.2.1. The definition of an ad is that it’s made to sell something, which tends to be forgotten easily over all the creative work and energy good advertising agencies put into their campaigns.
3.2.2. Some ads while oozing with creativity, like clever puns and stunning images, completely forget selling the product.
3.2.2.1. Having to laugh, feeling inspired or being shocked are all side effects of great marketing, not the goal.
3.2.2.2. Go simple
3.2.2.2.1. If your moisturizer makes women above 35 look younger, say “this is how women above 35 can look younger.”
3.3. Use facts, intrigue and scientific research to create great advertisements.
3.3.1. As the world gets noisier and noisier, creating unique marketing campaigns that stand out gets harder and harder.
3.3.2. David Ogilvy used a 3-pronged approach to get people’s attention and hold it, and it’s still relevant today
3.3.2.1. Give people the facts, even if they’re not special.
3.3.2.2. Use mysterious and intriguing images.
3.3.2.3. Integrate research findings into your ads.
3.3.3. Just because it’s a given that an airline implements comprehensive safety measures doesn’t mean that marketing it as a benefit won’t work.
3.3.3.1. When Ogilvy worked with KLM, that’s exactly what they did – and since no other airline talked about safety, it worked well.
3.3.4. Images are a great way to open curiosity gaps, stop customers dead in their tracks and make them think and ponder.
3.3.4.1. An image of a new, mysterious symbol with a hint how to find out more about it, is often a lot better than trying to explain the entire premise of The Hunger Games on one poster.
3.3.5. And if scientific research shows that color photos work better than black and white ones, and photos in general are a lot better than paintings, why ignore what researchers have put hard work into finding out?
3.3.5.1. Staying up to date on the latest research in marketing will be well worth your time.