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Confessions of an Advertising Man Paperback – January 1, 2012

by David Ogilvy (Author), Sir Alan Parker (Foreword)

4.7 742 ratings

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A new edition of the timeless business classic featured on Mad Men—as fresh and relevant now as the day it was written

"We admire people who work hard, who are objective and thorough. We detest office politicians, toadies, bullies, and pompous asses. We abhor ruthlessness. The way up our ladder is open to everybody. In promoting people to top jobs, we are influenced as much by their character as anything else." —David Ogilvy

David Ogilvy was considered the "father of advertising" and a creative genius by many of the biggest global brands. First published in 1963, this seminal book revolutionized the world of advertising and became a bible for the 1960s ad generation. It also became an international bestseller, translated into 14 languages. Fizzing with Ogilvy's pioneering ideas and inspirational philosophy, it covers not only advertising, but also people management, corporate ethics, and office politics, and forms an essential blueprint for good practice in business.

Print length

192 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Southbank Publishing
Publication date

January 1, 2012
Dimensions

6 x 0.6 x 9.5 inches
ISBN-10

9781904915379
ISBN-13

978-1904915379
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Ogilvy is the creative force of modern advertising." —New York Times

"Ogilvy's writing is pithy, lively and urbane...[Confessions of an Advertising Man] is full of great stories from the world of 1960s advertising." — IndependentMail.com

"Required reading for anyone in business" —Media Week

"It's a well-written, clean book which breaks out his concepts, tactics, and techniques and is a must-read for anyone in business—and particularly marketing and PR." —Ronn Torossian, CEO, 5WPR, on his 10 Must-Read Public Relations and Marketing Books, on Business Insider

"I would like to make it mandatory that everyone in advertising read David Ogilvy's first book, Confessions of an Advertising Man at least once a year."—George Parker in Business Insider

"Monumental...there is the kind of good, solid, smart, great-work-inspiring advice that any one in this business – and that includes clients – would be wise to review." —The Agency Review

"It's a classic...I tell my students if you're going to read a book about advertising, start with that one." — Investor's Business Daily

"For anyone working in the marketing profession, this is an essential text." — Financial Times

“. . . Throughout his book Confessions of an Advertising Man you will find deep insights on management, candor, and company culture.” —The Huffington Post

"I'd highly recommend Confessions of An Advertising Man for entrepreneurs at all stages of growth...this book changed my perspective on brand and messaging distillation." —John Furneaux, the co-founder and CEO of Hive

About the Author

David Ogilvy (1911–1999), referred to in 1962 by Time as "the most sought-after wizard in today's advertising industry," is considered to have been one of the dominant thinkers in the field. He is also the author of Ogilvy on Advertising. Sir Alan Parker was a copywriter in the 1960s and 1970s and is now a film director and producer. Films he directed include Angela's Ashes, Fame, Midnight Express, and Pink Floyd: The Wall.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ 190491537X
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Southbank Publishing; REV ed. edition (January 1, 2012)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 192 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9781904915379
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1904915379
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.6 x 9.5 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #80,208 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #87 in Advertising (Books)
- #146 in Company Business Profiles (Books)
- #277 in Business Professional's Biographies

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4.7 742 ratings

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David Ogilvy

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David Mackenzie Ogilvy CBE (/ˈoʊɡəlviː/; 23 June 1911 – 21 July 1999) was an advertising executive who was widely hailed as "The Father of Advertising". In 1962, Time called him "the most sought-after wizard in today's advertising industry".

Bio from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Photo by Advertising Hall of fame (Advertising Hall of fame) [Copyrighted free use], via Wikimedia Commons.

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4.7 out of 5

742 global ratings

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Richie Camden

Solid read and still applicable

Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2024

Verified Purchase

I own a doggy daycare business and love reading business/marketing books. It’s an old book but a lot of what he says is still applicable just in different ways. He’s got great philosophy and insight into his field of work. Definitely a solid read.

Reviewed in the United States on December 19, 2023

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I like the book because encourages to make yourself a more secure person in order to be a credible marketer

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AdamSmythe

Candid Advice from an Advertising Master.

Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2012

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While this version of the book is dated 2011, David Ogilvy died in 1999, so don't expect new additions or improvements from Olgivy to this timeless classic on advertising. That said, this remarkable book passed the million copy threshold over 20 years ago, and there are good reasons for its enduring success. Basically, it is simple, direct and easy to read, like good advertising copy. If you are interested in advertising, this is a book that has stood the test of time. If you want to read more reviews, you can check out an earlier (presumably out of print) version of this book.

According to Ogilvy, he originally wrote this book in 1962 in order to attract new clients to his advertising agency, to condition the market for a public offering of Ogilvy's shares, and to make himself better known in the business world. I think it's fair to say that he succeeded on all three points. Although Ogilvy subsequently stated that if he were to write this book again, he would be "less indiscreet, less boastful and less didactic," the book doesn't strike me as overly boastful or pompous. You would expect an advertising man to be sold on his own ideas.

Ogilvy gets straight to the heart of matters for advertisers. Here is how he organized the book:

1. How to manage an advertising agency.

2. How to get clients.

3. How to keep clients.

4. How to be a good client.

5. How to build great campaigns.

6. How to write potent copy.

7. How to illustrate advertisements and posters.

8. How to make good television commercials.

9. How to make good campaigns for food products, tourist destinations and proprietary medicines.

10. How to rise to the top of the tree--advice to the young.

11. Should advertising be abolished?

Although you may not read this book in one sitting, it is short enough and interesting enough that it won't take you very long to finish reading it. Finally, to give more flavor to Ogilvy's approach to advertising, here are a few of his more famous thoughts:

"Tell the truth, but make the truth fascinating."

"Big ideas are usually simple ideas."

"It is important to admit your mistakes and to do so before you are charged with them."

"In the best establishments, promise are always kept, whatever it may cost in agony and overtime."

"Tolerate genius."

And one of my favorites (which I've shortened), because it shows a blend of insight and self-awareness: "It is a mistake to use highfalutin language when advertising... I once used the word "obsolete" in a headline, only to discover that 33% of [readers] had no idea what it meant. In another headline I used the word "ineffable," only to discover that I didn't know what it meant myself."

19 people found this helpful

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Yewan

advertising simply explained

Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2023

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If you own an agency or are building a company read this and you will see more clearly, act with more taste, and be able to see more clearly good vs bad.

One person found this helpful

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Jon

Insightful for all in advertising

Reviewed in the United States on September 11, 2023

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If this is your first Ogilvy book, you'll get a kick out of it as it still accurately portrays life at a marketing agency. If you've already read Ogilvy on Advertising, then you can skip this and know you're not missing much.

2 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

A Must Read

Reviewed in the United States on November 27, 2015

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I was impressed by David Ogilvy's insight on advertising and how it helped me with pursing my ambitions. I bought the book used I was expecting a very beat up copy I was satisfied with the book I received.

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Bookie

A great book on marketing by a trendsetter in advertising

Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2020

Verified Purchase

Ogilvy & Mather is a field defining marketing company in India. In my school and college years top national advertisements were all created by Ogilvy & Mather. We always think of advertisement in terms of consumer products like soaps and shampoos but real advertisement reaches products far beyond that. Even in 2020 and even among the graduates of top management schools advertisement is looked upon as a con job unfortunately, as if informing consumers of the choices is talking them into buying those products. We should leave some things on the experts in the fields like marketing and advertisements. This is a book for managements of all levels in the corporate hierarchies. I recommend doing some research on Ogilvy's advertisement campaigns if you want to see David Ogilvy's wisdom in his own practice. Some of his advice is outdated for the multimedia generation of advertisement platforms we have available today. Today we also cannot ignore that the product has to speak for itself first and the advertisement is just an introduction of its features. I am writing this review for my friends in Silicon Valley, some of them heads of the technology companies who often have to achieve a difficult balance of popularity of their products and their innovation which hits the bull's eye of the topmost marketing problem all MBAs study in the business schools. Should I sell my existing already popular product to new customers or should I enhance it and start marketing it all over again? The "innovator's dilemma".

7 people found this helpful

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Victor Lan

This little book on advertising is refreshing, entertaining, and a timeless classic.

Reviewed in the United States on December 17, 2009

Verified Purchase

David Ogilvy writes with such a refreshing and entertaining prose that you will unknowingly find yourself smiling (and laughing) as you read along. Confession of an Advertising Man book was written in 1963, and in 1988, Ogilvy updated the book with a chapter titled, "The Story Behind This Book." In it, he thought that the book would sell 4,000 copies, but it unexpectedly turned out to be a runaway best seller. Why did he write it? "First, to attract new clients to his advertising agency." (Such honesty!)

Ogilvy delights us with wonderful tales of his career at the Hotel Majestic in Paris before he founded Ogilvy and Mather. Tales of the head chef, Monsieur Pitard, ("who was dressed, when off-duty, like an international banker") who ruled the kitchen with a rod of iron and inspiring many people (including Ogilvy) is in the first chapter on "How to Manage an Advertising Agency."

This little book has useful timeless advertising advice given in every sentence, every paragraph, and every page, filled with interesting personal stories from an advertising genius.

5 people found this helpful

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Carmago

Lección sobre publicidad.

Reviewed in Spain on March 8, 2024

Verified Purchase

Cualquier profesional del mundo del a publicidad, o simplemente aficionado, debería de leer este libro. Incluso para pernas con inquietudes empresariales encontraran aportaciones.
Cómo en gran medida se basa en comportamientos humanos sigue de plena actualidad aunque los medios (cómo soporte hablo) hayan cambiado mucho.
Libro de obligada lectura.
CMG

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Buland Akhtar Nawaz

Advertisement Guru's account

Reviewed in India on March 3, 2024

Verified Purchase

I liked each and every word of it. Every ad connoisseur should read this like a Bible. I loved it.

Ugo

Molto utile

Reviewed in Italy on April 23, 2023

Verified Purchase

Ho preso questo libro per approfondire il mondo della pubblicità e Ogilvy è un nome che non si può ignorare. Nonostante sia stato scritto molto tempo fa, contiene molti spunti utili ancora oggi. Il libro è in inglese (ma non un inglese impossibile) e la personalità di Ogilvy emerge dietro ogni riga. Ottimo per chi vuole conoscere più da vicino il settore pubblicitario.

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Yael Valdez

Es un excelente libro para entender la forma de pensar de David Ogilvy.

Reviewed in Mexico on April 19, 2020

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Aun no lo termino y me parece interesante la forma de pensar de David Ogilvy sobre como tomar acciones para tu agencia.

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Jimmy LaFleur

The Bible of Advertising

Reviewed in Canada on March 16, 2017

Verified Purchase

David Ogilvy is the Michael Jordan of advertising. This book was the original bible of advertising, way before "Hey Whipple Squeeze This". Ogilvy's book is a must read for anybody in advertising, or simply Mad Men series lovers.

One person found this helpful

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