for the Digiday Programmatic Marketing Summit, May 6-8 in Palm Springs.
Before there was Don Draper, there was David Ogilvy. “The father of advertising,” as he is sometimes referred to, was all about valuing the consumer’s intelligence, testing and “the big idea.” He helped forge a new, creative path for advertising in the ’60s that we now all look back on as the Golden Age of the advertising industry.
Unsurprisingly, a lot of what Ogilvy had to say back then still applies to the industry today — and it is perhaps even more important to remember some of his soundbites now with technology and the pace of the digital world forcing advertisers to be faster, more agile and more creative in real time.
Here are five David Ogilvyisms — shown as Don Draper macros, because why not? — that are still relevant today.
1. “In the modern world of business, it is useless to be a creative, original thinker unless you can also sell what you create.”
2. “Never stop testing, and your advertising will never stop improving.”
3. “Big ideas are usually simple ideas.”
4. “The best ideas come as jokes. Make your thinking as funny as possible.”
5. “Our business is infested with idiots who try to impress by using pretentious jargon.”
Photo of David Ogilvy via Wikimedia Commons
More in Marketing
Why Coca-Cola has made World Cup TV ads one part of its sports marketing play
The new Powerade World Cup 2026 campaign takes a 360 approach across social, digital, and traditional TV advertising to maximize impact.
Future of Marketing Briefing: In the age of AI, taste is the new competitive advantage
in a world where the tools are everywhere and the output is indistinguishable, taste is the last thing that actually compounds.
Nike’s Boston Marathon billboard chiding walkers inspires new Asics and Ecco campaigns
After Nike removed a controversial Boston Marathon sign late last week, Asics and Ecco responded with messaging focused on inclusivity and everyday movement.