The entire premise of Ogilvy on Advertising boils down to one simple statement (coined by Claude Hopkins nearly 80 years ago in his book Scientific Advertising): "Advertising is salesmanship."
Sadly, the advertising world has drifted from that solid mooring. And now those who profess it are considered anachronistic at best. And kooky at worst.
Ogilvy, a staunch admirer of Hopkins, firmly embraced that tenet -- and it propelled him and his agency (Ogilvy and Mather) to the Mount Olympus of the advertising world. Most importantly, it made his clients rich beyond the dreams of avarice.
Ogilvy's writing is captivating. His work, legendary. His ideas, timeless. The information in this book is easily work 10 times the cover price.
I've been in the profession of advertising for nearly 15 years. I'm also an adjunct professor at a nearby university. I wholeheartedly recommend Ogilvy On Advertising to my students. I firmly embrace its principles in my profession.
And I, without hesitation, urge you to read it as well.
As for dogmatism, it's actually refreshing to get an unambiguous read on a profession that is by nature nebulous, and if anyone has a right to an opinion, he's the man.
The chapter on print advertising contains enough densely packed information to allow an intelligent novice to design and write a creditable ad, and the book concludes with a series of short profiles of advertising pioneers such as Leo Burnett that are highly engrossing.
Ogilvy's writing style is exemplary for anyone in the communications field: terse, forceful, devoid of hot air. Anyone interested in advertising, marketing, or public relations---or in David Ogilvy as a figure in his own right---will enjoy this classic.
Ogilvy is the natural heir to Claude Hopkins (and if you don't know who he is, pick up a copy of "Scientific Advertising") and has the same understanding of advertising as both art and science that Hopkins did. Ogilvy knows that an ad campaign, no matter how visually wonderful it may be, must do one thing: sell.
Ogilvy understands that advertising is fairly synonymous with sales, a fact that far too many advertisers and ad people alike seem to keep forgetting. Witness the mindless glut of ads that ran during the internet boom, read Ogilvy and Hopkins, and you'll understand why so many internet companies died on the vine when they couldn't attract customers. Admittedly, a number of internet companies lacked a true product or service to sell, but most did not do themselves any favors with their advertising.
Whether you are new to advertising or a seasoned pro, this book is a must have.