David Ogilvy

Advertising reflects the mores of society, but it does not influence them.

The most important word in the vocabulary of advertising is TEST. If you pretest your product with consumers, and pretest your advertising, you will do well in the marketplace.

Some manufacturers illustrate their advertisements with abstract paintings. I would only do this if I wished to conceal from the reader what I was advertising.

Never write an advertisement which you wouldn’t want your own family to read. You wouldn’t tell lies to your own wife. Don’t tell them to mine. Do as you would be done by. If you tell lies about a product, you will be found out — either by the Government, which will prosecute you, or by the consumer, who will punish you by not buying your product a second time. Good products can be sold by honest advertising. If you don’t think the product is good, you have no business to be advertising it.

The more informative your advertising, the more persuasive it will be.

I notice increasing reluctance on the part of marketing executives to use judgment; they are coming to rely too much on research, and they use it as a drunkard uses a lamp post for support, rather than for illumination.

Our friendship was based on my payouts. That wasn’t a friendship when – as, for example, it’s me, my friends, we are friends for many years, and it doesn’t matter for me what the position is, where they work; we simply are friends. And with Mr. Berezovsky, our friendship was based on my payoffs.

Getting permanent value out of a job means purpose and fitting means to ends.

Fairs and public displays are the best means we have yet found of showing large numbers of people the real methods of industry.

We have had just one main purpose during these years, and that is to give the people transportation of the most dependable quality at the lowest possible cost. Our car was called the Universal Car thirty years ago, because it fulfilled so many needs; it is The Universal Car today for the same reason.

Our modern industrialism, changed to motives of public service, will provide means to remove every injustice that gives soil for prejudice.

You now have to decide what ‘image’ you want for your brand. Image means personality. Products, like people, have personalities, and they can make or break them in the market place.

One client didn’t want to go out so had us build him a nightclub in his house.

The great need of the world has always been for leaders. With more leaders we could have more industry. More industry, more employment and comfort for all.

A well-run restaurant is like a winning baseball team. It makes the most of every crew member’s talent and takes advantage of every split-second opportunity to speed up service.

I have a great, great company. I employ thousands of people. And I’m very proud of the job I did.

Luck is always the last refuge of laziness and incompetence.

When bankers get into business they usually destroy it.

While I love technology and social media, a text or a tweet can never replace the real value of conversation.

There has never been a time when a career in the Penney Company was not a challenge that brought out the best in a man.

Too many would-be executives are slaves of routine.