The original ‘gentleman with brains’ turns 100 today – so to honour David Ogilvy no negative anon comments on any story on the Blog today
June 23 2011, 12:25 am | | 39 Comments
On this day, one hundred years ago, David Ogilvy was born in West Horsley, England.
He went on to become the most famous adman of his generation, described as “The King of Madison Avenue” and “The Father of Modern Advertising”.
But more than that, he was a gentleman. Yes, he was highly competitive, but he was also a gracious competitor. He counted fellow Mad Men Bill Bernbach, Leo Burnett and Raymond Rubicam as close friends. When he saw a great ad, he would track down the creators and call to congratulate them.
To mark his centenary and honour his role in our industry, Campaign Brief has decided that, for one day only – today – we will publish no negative anonymous comments – on any story on our blog.
Happy Birthday David!
39 Comments
Nice one. A day without negative comments here?
That’s like taking smack away from an addict.
Hey everyone: it’s time to get a life for a day.
Let’s see if its achievable.
Fuck you 8:07, you fucking fuckwit.
This is the Internet. It can’t be done.
Happy 100th to you, Sir. I tip my hat in your general direction. Well played indeed.
Fair enough. But equally, CB should promise not to post any appalling work from out-of-touch agencies desperate for a bit of PR. Deal?
Interesting that you would choose Ogilvy’s birthday for your No Negatives Day.
After all, he’d have an awful lot to say about a vast majority of the ads that appear on our TV screens and newspapers – and I don’t think much of it would be positive.
Ogilvy believed in some basic principles of communication and, generally, he was on the money. Those principles seem to be ignored – or never learned – by most of today’s ad people. (The appalling, unreadable typography we see all too often is just one example.)
Of course, Ogilvy well understood that times change and that his rules would need to change with them. TV viewers are much more aware of advertising and its techniques today, and we live in a much more ad-cluttered world so cut-through is much harder. But that doesn’t mean the most basic principles can just be ignored.
So happy birthday Mr O. English gentleman you may have been, but you made your name in the rough and tumble of Madison Avenue at the height of the Madmen days, so I’m sure you’d be amused to see your day celebrated in this particular way.
i really like this idea.
There are no gentlemen left in advertising. maybe Richard Maddocks was the latest great one, who was against negative comments. Thanks Richard and Davidy.
9:48 winning!
@8.07
@9.21
@9.28
@9.41
@9.48
I fucking love you guys.
No negative comments? How bloody stupid, what a half-witted idea, what are you guys on? You losers!
fuck that
The fiercest commentary actually seems to occur whenever creatives start praising their own work in a hopeless attempt to sway public opinion. Perhaps we should back up Thursday with an overly-transparent-self-congratulatory-wank-fest-free-Friday. The effect could be identical.
10.07 well said, particularly since you saved me writing almost the exact same post.
That’s not very nice 9.21.
Has working in advertising created some anger management issues for you?
Fuck off. We are in communication. Dick Head
Fuck you 1:56, you fucking fuckwit.
How about a ‘no Mad Men references’ day as well?
Since when do corpses celebrate birthdays?
Half the article refers to him in the past tense “was this, was that”, the other half you wish him a happy 100th birthday.
Pretty sure it’s OK to stop counting how old people would be after they croak, no matter how important they are… !
@The Late David Ogilvy
“Since when do corpses celebrate birthdays?”
Ever since they started commenting on blog posts.
Hey 2.01 and 2.36.
I’m a really happy guy.
No negative comments Thursday eh? Easy-peasy. See you guys Friday.
I would love to hear Sir David’s opinion about the sort of unasked-for-and-unpaid-for-and-sometimes-unseen-by-client advertising Ogilvy Singapore has built its creative reputation on.
Campaign Brief comments.
It’s like watching a skinny, angry teenage boy punch a beanbag.
Over.
And over.
Ogilvy would want us at the pub and not on Campaign Brief. So, in the spirit of “no negative comments”, let’s all not go on this website this Thursday and avoid the temptation.
Tell you what, how about a single day devoid of yet another self-promoting ‘Cannes Diary?’ It looks like every fucker over there is blogging about how wonderful it all is. I mean, give us Keogh, Brown and Furby, but shut out the rest eh?
” At 60 blogs an hour the only sound you can hear is the whining of the negatives”
TROLOLOLOLOLOL #internet
Did someone say redit?
I love people who take this industry seriously. I don’t and granted I’m not that good but i get paid the same.
Wet-behind-the-ears copywriters – and for that matter anyone who wants to develop their craft – would do well to study David Ogilvy’s copy.
Great copywriters since, not least Neil French, have taken more than a leaf or two out of his book.
French would eat Ogilvy for petit dejeuner
6.52, your witticism is wasted on most of today’s ad kids.
100% Bravo to Mr. Moult for page 24 of today’s (Thursday June 23) Financial Review.
6.31
That’s so negative
These great men you mentioned are the reason we are here
they are advertising GODS, Like the great man Ogilvy himself
if it wasn’t for their contribution to advertising, I’d leave the game
their words of wisdom are akin to sermons on the mount given by Jesus
This time of year is like a breath of fresh air
David was a hater of billboards. Can’t we celebrate great billboards to prove him that they can be effective and entertaining methods of advertising?
Yes, 9.21… that’s why French has become such a major figure in the history of advertising and so much more influential than Ogilvy in the way it’s done.
Sorry, gotta agree with 6.31. Those endless blogs are incredibly self-indulgent and boring, reflecting the worst of our industry. After a para of just one of them, I gave up. They’re just something to scroll past.
Why thank you Mr Bevins. Praise indeed!
12.49 Of course I agree with 6.31, my comment was veiled sarcasm due to strict be nice day….