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By Lawrence Bernstein 2 Comments (Ogilvy On) Direct Response Advertising vs. G eneral Advertising Many today connote direct response  with enlargment pills, acai berries and colon cleansers. Let them. Info Marketing Blog About Lawrence Bernstein Blurbs for IMB Swipe Files & More (Ogilvy O n) Direct Res ponse Adver tis in g vs. Gen eral Advert isin g htt p://www.info marketingblog.com/di rec t-r esponse-vs- gen eral-ad verti sin g/ 1 of 10 03/01/2016 05:19 p.m.

Ogilvy on Direct Response Advertising vs. General Advertising

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7/23/2019 Ogilvy on Direct Response Advertising vs. General Advertising

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By Lawrence Bernstein — 2 Comments

(Ogilvy On) Direct ResponseAdvertising vs. General Advertising

Many today connote direct response  with enlargment pills, acai berries and colon

cleansers.

Let them.

Info Marketing Blog About Lawrence Bernstein Blurbs for IMB Swipe Files & More

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Here’s a yesteryear presentation by the Scottish high priest of direct response, David

Ogilvy (heralded by trumpets).

Interestingly, the chasm between direct response and general advertising that Ogilvy

mentions is just as wide as when he gave this presentation over thirty years ago. And

were it not for the Internet clearly demonstrating the ineptitude and shortcomings of most Fortune 500 advertising, they’d still be in the dark.

The boldings are mine. I certainly echo the sentiment that, “Your timing is perfect.

You’ve come in the direct response business at the right moment in history.” Though it

would be insane for most to capitalize on this timing at an agency. Get in front of your

computer and put on your thinking cap.

I wish I could be with you today, in the flesh as they say. Unfortunately, I’m in 

India. Ever been in India? It’s very hot. If you don’t mind, I’m going to take off  

my coat.

You know, in the advertising community today, there are two worlds — your 

world of direct response advertising, and that other world, the world of  

general advertising.

These two worlds are on a collision course. You direct response people 

know what kind of advertising works and what doesn’t work. You know it to 

a dollar. The general advertising people don’t know.

You know that too many commercials on television are more effective — 

more cost effective — than 10 second commercials or 30 second 

commercials. You know that fringe time on television sells more than prime 

time. In print advertising, you know that long copy sells more than 

short copy. You know, that headlines and copy about the product and 

its benefits sell more than cute headlines and poetic copy. You know 

it to a dollar.

“ 

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The general advertisers and their agencies know almost nothing for 

sure because they cannot measure the results of their advertising.

They worship at the alter of creativity, which really means originality,

the most dangerous word in the lexicon of advertising. They opine that 

30-second commercials are more cost effective than two-minute 

commercials. You know they’re wrong. In print advertising, they opine that 

short commercials (whoever prepared the teleprompter presentation 

goofed, obviously he meant ads) sell more than long copy. You know they’re 

wrong. They indulge in entertainment. You know they’re wrong. You know 

to a dollar. They don’t.

Why don’t you tell them? 

Why don’t you save them from their follies? 

For two reasons: 

First, because you are impressed by the fact they are so big and so well paid 

and so well publicized. You are even, perhaps, impressed by their 

reputation for creativity, whatever that may mean. Second, you never meet 

them. You inhabit a different world. The chasm between direct 

response advertising and general advertising is wide.

On your side of the chasm, I see knowledge and reality. On the other side of  

the chasm, I see ignorance. You are the professionals. This must not go on. I 

predict that the practitioners of general advertising are going to start 

learning from your experience. They’re going to start picking your brains.

I see no reason why the direct response divisions of agencies should be 

separate from the main agencies. Some of you may remember when 

television agencies were kept separate. Wasn’t that idiotic? I expect to see 

the direct response people become an integral part of all agencies. You 

have more to teach them than they have to teach you. You have it in your 

power to rescue the advertising business from its manifold lunacies.

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When I was 25, I took a correspondence course in direct mail. I bought it out 

my own pocket from the Dardanelle Corporation in Chicago. Direct 

response is my first love, and later it became my secret weapon. When I 

started a Ogilvy & Mather in New York, nobody had heard of us, but we were 

airborne within six months and grew at record speed. How did we achieve 

that? By using my secret weapon, direct mail.

Every four weeks, I sent personalized mailings to our new business 

prospects, and I was always amazed to discover how many of our clients 

had been attracted to Ogilvy & Mather by those mailings. That was how we 

grew.

Whenever I look at an advertisement in a magazine or newspaper, I can tell at a glance whether the writer has had any direct response experience. If he 

writes short copy or literary copy, it is obvious that he has never had the 

discipline to write direct response. If he has had that discipline, he wouldn’t 

make those mistakes. Nobody should be allowed to create general 

advertising until he has severed his apprenticeship in direct 

response. That experience will keep his feet on the ground for the 

rest of his life.

You know the trouble with many copywriters and general agencies is 

that they don’t really think in terms of selling. They’ve never written 

direct response, they’ve never tasted blood. Until recently, direct 

response was the “Cinderella” of the advertising world. Then came the 

computer and the credit card, and direct marketing exploded. You guys are 

coming into your own. Your opportunities are colossal. In the audience 

today, there are heads of some general agencies. I offer you this advice; 

insist that all your people, creative, media, account executives, that they’re 

all trained in your direct response division. If you don’t have such a division,

make arrangements with a firm of directing marketing specialist to train 

 your people. And make it a rule in your agency that no copy is ever 

presented to clients before it has been vetted by a direct response expert.

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Ladies and gentlemen, I envy you. Your timing is perfect. You’ve come in 

the direct response business at the right moment in history. You’re on 

to a good thing.

For 40 years, I’ve been a voice crying in the wilderness, trying to get my 

fellow advertising practitioners to take direct response seriously. Today, my first love is coming into its own. You face a golden future.

Filed Under: Blog

Comments

Courtney James says

July 25, 2009 at 10:34 am

Hey Lawrence,

This is a message that really needs to get out.

Around here image advertising still rules the scene and it’s almost embarrassing.

I’m going to save this link to share with my business friends because I think it does

a great job of dispelling the image advertising SCAM.

As always Lawrence, you bring value to the table and I’m glad I discovered your

blog a while back.

Thank you!

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Courtney James

A.K.A. ObviousWriter on Twitter.

http://www.obviouswriting.com

Trackbacks

Direct Response Advertising: Their Importance is Far More Important Today |

dooodles♥ says:

December 4, 2009 at 6:31 am

[…] Below is a speech from “the most sought-aer wizard in the advertising business”, David

Ogilvy, where he spoke about direct response advertising from over a decade ago. You can

find a full transcript here. […]

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