A book I first read almost 10 years ago, as a fresh out of college graduate entering advertising – Ogilvy on Advertising. And it remains one of the most important books I could have read at the time. A book that is in fact just as important today. Whether you are entering advertising, or have spent years in the craft, this book has something for you. After all, it’s not a bad idea to try and learn a thing or two from the man famously referred to as the Father of Advertising. Or as The Time magazine once put it – ‘The most sought-after wizard in the business’. Not a bad reference for someone who started off in the profession at the age of 38.
What to expect from Ogilvy on Advertising. And what not to.
Salesman, Researcher, Soldier, and the founder of Hewitt, Ogilvy, Benson, and Mather, or Ogilvy as we know it today, David Ogilvy’s life in advertising itself is a lesson for aspiring admen today. Since he practiced advertising in an age where ‘digital’ was practically an unheard term, don’t pick this up expecting ideas for your next digital campaign. What you get however, is decades’ worth of advice, stories, examples and lessons in advertising and sales. Lessons that are just as relevant in today’s digital age as they were 40 years ago. Lessons that can inspire more than just advertising, but story-telling, marketing and sales as well. That is after all a critical role of advertising. Which is what makes Ogilvy on Advertising an important book even today. A classic in every sense of the word. Not unlike Cadbury’s ‘Kuch khaas hai zindagi mein’ commercial from the 90s.
Classics are meant to be classics.
Whether it’s movies, music, or literature, classics hold a special place in a lot of hearts. The same can also be said of about advertising. Whether its Apple’s ‘1984’, Budweiser’s ‘Wassup’, or Volkwagen’s ‘Think Small’, these ads made a significant impact in their own universe, while also standing the test of time as well. Inspiring and influencing generations since their release.
Building something that lasts through generations isn’t a mean feat. But remaking a classic hit. That can be even tougher. Case in point. A less than flattering return of Budweiser’s ‘Whassup’ commercial, with a twist of quarantine. A return that tried and, at least in my opinion, failed to mimic the charm of its 1999 predecessor. Perhaps because of the increased expectations of something following up in the footsteps that was once a cult hit. Or may be because it looked like an attempt at jumping on to the quarantine-centric viral content bandwagon. Just another example of why I have my own reservations about remakes.
But while I’m personally not a fan of tampering with a classic, every once in a while, you come across something that just works. Like the Cadbury #GoodLuckGirls commercial that has undoubtedly made it to your feed or chat groups in the last 24 hours. Built off the famous ‘Kuch Khaas hai zindagi mein’ commercial from the 90s. With a small twist aimed to say something big.
If there is one thing about India that one cannot see changing, it is India’s love for Cricket, which made this such a beloved piece not just through the 90s, but even among later generations who weren’t born at the time of its release.
Fast forward almost three decades, and the love for Cricket remains as intense as ever. But on a social and cultural front, things have changed, a bit since the 90s. And still continue to change, however slowly. But there’s enough written about how Cadbury’s new take on a classic, aims to celebrate a sense of societal progression and its optimism moving forward. Making headlines and winning plaudits all over the country, including Ravichandran Ashwin, who took to Twitter to express his delight over Cadbury’s new ad.
Wow!! Well Played Cadbury‘s. So happy that my daughters will grow up watching this.
Ravichandran Ashwin via Twitter
How far the message goes of course remains to be seen. Will this new ad go on to earn a cult status like its predecessor, or find itself in the archives of content pieces that enjoyed their moments of thrill before fading away? We’ll find out soon enough. What’s undeniable is the nostalgia and feel good factor that Cadbury’s new ad has created. Not just by reproducing a classic with a charm to be relevant today. But by making something relevant charming through a classic.
One classic, with lessons from another. Ogilvy on Advertising.
In addition to driving a message, what this commercial also does is echo some of David Ogilvy’s own thoughts that have served as lessons for the marketers for decades. Encapsulated in his book, ‘Ogilvy on Advertising’, almost 40 years ago.
Perhaps one of the earliest ‘content marketers’, long before the term ‘content marketing’ became a part of every marketing and advertising conversation today, David Ogilvy believed that content, more than its form, is the deciding factor in convincing your customer. And that holds true more than ever in today’s digital age. Where each of us is overwhelmed by hundreds of marketing messages in various forms, what we’re interested is in not just a piece content. But the quality of that content. Is it relevant? Does it stand out from the hundreds of others? And if it does, it usually doesn’t matter where they saw the message.
Another thing that makes the new Cadbury ad such a delight is something Piyush Pandey himself touches upon “It is a brave thing done by the team. To touch an iconic thing is a brave move.” And given the number remakes that fail to make the cut, you can’t help but agree more. Especially in a day and age where marketers are constantly under pressure to come up with something new almost every day. The new Cadbury ad goes to show why some classics – even when redone well – have the power to overshadow anything new.
It takes uncommon guts to stick to one style in the face of all the pressures to ‘Come up with something new’ every six months.
David Ogilvy, Ogilvy on Advertising
Charming. Nostalgic. Brave. But not a first.
While we all agree that Cadbury’s new ad deserves the plaudits it has been getting over the last 24 hours, we also know this isn’t the first time a successful commercial has been remade. Many of them however go under the radar because they just don’t hit the standards set by the original.
But here’s one that does hit the mark.
Brussels Airlines commercial from 2017, carrying forward a story that it started in ‘It’s a boy’ released in 2002. Showing the Brussels Airlines staff come together to inform Mr. Smith who has just boarded an aircraft that he has become a father to a baby boy. 15 years later the airline doesn’t exactly recreate the same ad, but continues the story in ‘Happy Birthday Mr. Smith Jr.’ with the same lead actors from the 2002 film.
Not exactly an example of a classic redone, but certainly one in story telling even in ads. Even if the story is 15 years a part. In a way, living out another piece of advice from David Ogilvy himself. Making a story out of your truth. And making this truth interesting.
Key messages from Ogilvy on Advertising for the digital age
Advertising and selling are two forms of art, as they have been for a long time, where one compliments – or at least it should – the other. And there are few who have done both so well. So it may be worth your time to listen to what he has to say.
- Advertising people who ignore research are as dangerous as generals who ignore decodes of enemy signals.
- In the modern world of business, it is useless to be a creative, original thinker unless you can sell what you create.
- What really decides consumers to buy or not to buy is the content of your advertising. Not its form.
- It takes uncommon guts to stick to one style in the face of all the pressures to ‘Come up with something new’ every six months.
- Never stop testing, and your advertising will never stop improving.
- Our business is infested with idiots who try to impress by using pretentious jargon.
- Will the idea work for 30 years? And while 30 years can sound like a long time, Cadbury’s new ad (among others like the Marlboro Man) shows that a powerful idea can last for longer.
- And perhaps the most important one. Or at least the most memorable one – The consumer isn’t a moron, she is your wife.
Self-explanatory and easy to understand in itself, each of these points you’ll realise has implications not limited to any particular medium or form of advertising. Whether you are working on a full-scale launch, or a contest on Twitter, each of the above points holds true. As do many of Ogilvy’s other forms of advice in his book. Loaded with decades’ worth of advice for that are as relevant today as they were in the 1980s, Ogilvy on Advertising remains a book you should consider giving a read. And you’ll be glad that you did.
