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Your Ad Has Only One Job...

  • Writer: Thapelo Mophuting
    Thapelo Mophuting
  • Mar 4
  • 2 min read

Updated: Mar 22


"We sell... or else."

 

David Ogilvy said that. He built the biggest ad agency on the planet.

 

Man had a philosophy about ads. Basically: ads should sell product.

 

You run a business. I run a business. To us, this makes total sense.

 

Not to most advertising people though.

 

Have you seen perfume ads?

 

Johnny Depp drives into desert. Plays guitar for a prairie wolf. Buries guitar. Walks off.

 

It's like a LSD fueled fever dream.

 

Have you seen that horrendous Jaguar ad? No car in sight. Just a bunch of colourfully dressed very weird looking people standing in an elevator.

 

Truly bizarre.

 

The fact is - most advertising people haven't sold a thing in their life and couldn't sell something to save their life either.

 

They'll tell you that you should just 'put your name out there' and you should 'build brand awareness'.

 

Don't fall for that BS.

 

Every ad should sell.

 

Sell your message.

Sell your service.

Sell your product.

Sell your company.

 

I don't particularly care which one you pick...

 

...but it should sell SOMETHING.

 

When we start working with clients this is one of the first things we go over. Look at what they're doing, find ads that don't sell... change them.

 

If you're going to invest money, might as well give yourself the best chance of getting money back in, right?

 

Anyway, might be a good thing to look at in your business.

 

We sell... or else.

 

Talk soon,

Thapelo

 

P.S. I always liked this quote as well:

 

"It takes a big idea to attract the attention of consumers and get them to buy your product. Unless your advertising contains a big idea, it will pass like a ship in the night."

 

David Ogilvy was the man.

 

P.P.S. It would be hypocritical of me if I didn't sell in this article. So if you want to check out what it's like to work with us, click this link and fill out the form to get in touch with us for a free strategy session.


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