When I first came to trampoline, I wondered why our creative director Brad Dykema displayed Ogilvy on Advertising so proudly on his bookshelf. Now I know why.

Ogilvy on Advertising is a self-development book written by none other than the “father of advertising” himself, David Ogilvy. When I was given this book to read, I was skeptical at first. How could I learn anything about a constantly changing form of communication from a book that was published before I was born? I couldn’t have been more wrong. While some modern advertisers will use methods to attract customers which are based purely on intuition, Ogilvy’s methods are backed by solid research that has shown what works and what doesn’t. Ogilvy was a giant of the industry in his time, creating famous campaigns for Dove soap, Schweppes, and Rolls-Royce. Many of his accounts still belong to the multi-national agency that bares his name.

At first, I needed to take a step back and put myself in the right mind-set to read the book. I had always viewed advertising to be a form of artwork, and that creativity is what drives a good campaign. Ogilvy shrugs off the aspect of creativity as “the work I have to do between now and Tuesday”. This reminded me of the true purpose of advertising, which is to sell: “When I write an advertisement, I don’t want you to tell me that you find it “creative”, I want you to find it so interesting that you buy the product”. This is not to say that creativity should be disregarded completely. What Ogilvy was saying was that when creativity takes a front seat in a campaign, the overall goal to sell the product can be lost. Ogilvy made sure there was a relevant section for any person in an ad agency. For the account executive, Ogilvy speaks of his relationships with his clients and the dos and don’ts of working with them. For the copywriter, Ogilvy gives advice on layouts and copy that has been proven to work. The chief executive officer is given step-by-step instructions on how to bring in clients, and how to detect ones that they won’t want to work with.

It is clear to see that Ogilvy is a man with an ego the size of his medieval castle in France. This can be off-putting at first, but eventually it became clear to me that Ogilvy’s attitude was precisely what made him such a heavy-hitter in the industry. His writing is enthusiastic and quick-witted, which kept me hanging off every word. His constant use of recalling personal experiences also helped me grasp concepts easier. As an intern, the book “oversimplified” many complicated subjects and helped me understand them better. It is amazing how the points he makes more than 20 years ago are still so relevant today.
This book is a must-have for young aspiring advertisers as well as veterans of the profession. I can say without a doubt that Ogilvy on Advertising has influenced and inspired me. This is a book that will provide any advertising enthusiast with advice and insights that will “make the cash register ring.”

Collaboration is a huge part of what we do. And creative minds don't always think alike. But that's what keeps things interesting around here. This post was written in cooperation by members of the Trampoline Branding staff.