(Ogilvy On) Direct Response Advertising vs.

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(Ogilvy On) Direct Response

Advertising vs. General Advertising

Many today connote direct response with enlargment pills, acai berries and colon
cleansers.
Let them.
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Heres 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, theyd still be in the dark.
The boldings are mine. I certainly echo the sentiment that, Your timing is perfect.
Youve 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, Im in
India. Ever been in India? Its very hot. If you dont mind, Im 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 doesnt work. You know it to
a dollar. The general advertising people dont 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 theyre 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 theyre
wrong. They indulge in entertainment. You know theyre wrong. You know
to a dollar. They dont.
Why dont you tell them?
Why dont 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. Theyre 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. Wasnt 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 wouldnt
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 dont really think in terms of selling. Theyve never written
direct response, theyve 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 theyre
all trained in your direct response division. If you dont 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. Youve come in
the direct response business at the right moment in history. Youre on
to a good thing.
For 40 years, Ive 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 its almost embarrassing.
Im 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 Im 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-after 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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