🔥 This 1960s ad made billions…

9 Marketing Lessons From this Oglivy Ad

The ad below written in the 1960’s brought in billions in revenue.

It’s David Ogilvy’s most successful ad.

Not for a client. For his own agency.

Ogilvy & Mather literally published all their trade secrets.

And it worked.

Clients lined up. Because the work spoke louder than the sell.

Here are 8 lessons from that 1 ad that still hold up in 2025:

Lesson 1️⃣: Positioning is the make-or-break.

“The most important decision. We have learned that the effect of your advertising on your sales depends more on this decision than on any other. How should you position your product?” – David Ogilvy

Before you run the ad, fix the foundation. If your positioning is soft, no amount of clever creative will save it. Most ads fail not because of bad copy. But, because they’re selling something people don’t understand, don’t want, or can already get somewhere else.

The best campaigns start with a clear answer to: Why you? Why now?

How to actually do this:

– Interview your best customers

– Study what your competitors AREN’T saying

– Boil your answer down to a single bold claim

If it doesn’t pass the “so what?” test, it’s not strong enough.

Lesson 2️⃣: Show the product.

“The test of a good advertisement is whether it sells the product without drawing attention to itself. It is the product which must do the selling.” – David Ogilvy

Too many brands fall in love with THE AD and forget about THE THING. It’s not about the clever edit or the trendy sound. It’s about making the product look so useful, so desirable, so obvious – that people want it NOW.

Good creative makes you say, “Wait… I need that.” Not “Cool ad.”

How to actually do this:

– Lead with the product in action

– Highlight the moment of value

– Use testimonials, demos, or transformations that SHOW not just tell

If your product’s not the hero of the ad, you’re doing free branding for your editor.

Lesson 3️⃣: Make a promise. Make it big.

“The most important function of your advertising is to promise a benefit to the consumer… The promise should be important and it should be unique. It should set you apart from the competition.” – David Ogilvy

Your ad needs to promise something clear and valuable. Not a feature. Not a vague idea. A real outcome. If someone reads your copy and still doesn’t know what’s in it for them, it’s not ready.

How to actually do this:

– Write down what your product helps someone achieve

– Turn that into a single, bold sentence

– Make sure it’s something your competitors aren’t already saying

Clarity wins. Always.

Lesson 4️⃣: Every ad builds your brand.

“Every advertisement should be thought of as a contribution to the complex symbol which is the brand image.” – David Ogilvy

You’re not just running a campaign. You’re training people how to remember you.

Every ad leaves a mark. Tone, visuals, language, offer…it all adds up. The wrong creative might get clicks, but if it confuses people about who you are, it costs you later.

How to actually do this:

– Use consistent visual cues

– Speak in a voice that sounds like your brand, not like every other brand

– Build equity in a few key messages instead of chasing new ones each week

Brand is memory. Every ad should make yours stronger.

Lesson 5️⃣: Use their language. Not yours.

“If you’re trying to persuade people to do something, it seems to me you should use their language, the language in which they think.” – David Ogilvy

Clarity beats clever. Every time. You’re not writing to impress other Marketers. You’re writing to be understood. If your audience wouldn’t say it, don’t write it. No jargon. No internal speak. No trying to sound smart.

How to actually do this:

– Talk to your customers

– Pull phrases directly from how they describe the problem

– Read it out loud. If it doesn’t sound human, change it

You’re not dumbing it down. You’re making it land. And, no big words for no reason. 

Lesson 6️⃣: Test everything. Assume nothing.

“Never stop testing, and your advertising will never stop improving.” – David Ogilvy

You are not your audience. What you THINK will work doesn’t matter. What ACTUALLY works is all that counts. Even Ogilvy, the king of copy, tested relentlessly.

How to actually do this:

– Test 1 thing at a time: headline, hook, creative, CTA

– Let data lead, but keep a human lens on the results

– Don’t get attached. Get curious.

The best Marketers don’t fall in love with ideas. They fall in love with what works.

Lesson 7️⃣: You can’t bore people into buying.

“You cannot bore people into buying your product.” –  David Ogilvy

Nobody owes your ad their attention. If it doesn’t stop the scroll, start a reaction, or spark curiosity. It gets ignored. Most boring ads fail before the first line. They don’t say anything new. They don’t show anything interesting. They just exist. And, existing isn’t enough.

How to actually do this:

– Start with a tension or insight your audience FEELS

– Lead with a hook that earns the next sentence

– Cut the safe stuff. Say something that makes them lean in

You’re not writing for approval. You’re writing for attention. And attention is step 1 to everything else.

Lesson 8️⃣: Big ideas win. Small ideas vanish.

“Unless your advertising is based on a big idea, it will pass like a ship in the night.” – David Ogilvy

Most ads blend in. The best ones break pattern. If your idea doesn’t make someone stop and think, it’s already gone. A big idea doesn’t need a big budget. It just needs to hit a nerve. It’s the insight, the tension, the twist that makes people pay attention and remember.

How to actually do this:

– Ask what’s being ignored in your category

– Look for the tension your product resolves

– Say the quiet part out loud

The internet is noisy. The only way through is with something bold and true.

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