Ogilvy?.. who Ogilvy?

Never write an advertisement which you wouldn't want your family to read. You wouldn't tell lies to your own wife. Don't tell them to mine. --David Ogilvy
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Ogilvy said many things, about advertising and media, there exists virtually nothing about which our man have not said a thing or two. Ogilvy school of thought remains strong and the name is still a force to reckon with , in advertising. see some of them...

People do not buy from bad-mannered liars.

The consumer's not a moron, she's your wife. Don't insult her intelligence. Tell the truth, but make the truth fascinating.

Never run an ad you wouldn't want your family to see.

We pursue knowledge the way a pig pursues truffles. We prefer the discipline of knowledge to the anarchy of ignorance.

Big ideas are usually simple ideas.

Now let me share with you a mail send to me by a friend of mine who works for a front line agency in Bombay..oops.. Mumbai...

"last day i went with my team to attend a party at a clients side and the development there was quite funny. I think that would be interesting for you.
You know our salt client..he was celebrating anniversary of launch and also the release of the new sales promotion ads. Have you seen it? if you have , i know you will rape it in your next blog. But you know what? The salt guy loves it, he says the sales is going up and he is so glad for us. Now that the ads we made for him are working for his sales dont you think that you deserve an apology , for accusing us of doing nothing in this regard?"

Well... let me come out of the mail..and let me tell you about the ad... For those who havent seen it..

Here comes the typical stereotyped Indian couple to a jewellery shop.. the wife starts her frantic tantrums.. the husband looks like an idiot and behaves like one too.. silent, anxious that his wife is going mad over gold but incapacitated to stop her rampage....

Take that ....take this.. take the 6th one.. orders the wife, sweats the husband..

Pack all the six.. finally she is almost contented...

Mam.. cash or card? - asks the shocked sales man...

Boom.. takes the wife a packet of ashirwad salt and keeps it on the table..

Then the announcer promise on air...."now every pack of ashirwad salt , you have chances of winning gold"

Excuse me...but my good old friend...

Is it what advertising is supposed to do?

Isnt it a big disservice to say the least..?

Havent the Big daddies .. whom we still adore as founders of modern advertising ,set some guidelines..like for instance...."You will not fool your wife, dont try to fool mine"...

How long?

I guess i know your reply..

Ogilvy.. who?