You have only 30 seconds in a TV commercial. If you grab attention in the first frame with a visual surprise, you stand a better chance of holding the viewer. People screen out a lot of commercials because they open with something dull... When you advertise fire-extinguishers, open with the fire.

David Ogilvy

David Ogilvy

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A good advertisement is one which sells the product without drawing attention to itself.

— David Ogilvy

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It takes a big idea to attract the attention of consumers and get them to buy your product. Unless your advertising contains a big idea, it will pass like a ship in the night. I doubt if more than one campaign in a hundred contains a big idea.

— David Ogilvy

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I did not feel 'evil' when I wrote advertisements for Puerto Rico. They helped attract industry and tourists to a country which had been living on the edge of starvation for 400 years.

— David Ogilvy

Develop your eccentricities while you are young. That way, when you get old, people won't think you're going gaga.

— David Ogilvy

Advertising people who ignore research are as dangerous as generals who ignore decodes of enemy signals.

— David Ogilvy

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