Words of Wisdom: The sharpest David Ogilvy quotes that refuse to age
Decades after his heyday, David Ogilvy’s words still echo in boardrooms and brainstorms. The “Father of Advertising” didn’t just write ads - he rewrote the rules of persuasion. Here’s a collection of his most enduring quotes, packed with lessons for marketers, leaders, and creatives alike.
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In a world marketing trends change at the speed of a click, true wisdom rarely ages well. Yet David Ogilvy - celebrated as the "Father of Advertising" - proved to be the exception.
Beyond creating legendary campaigns, he left behind a playbook of razor-sharp quotes that cut through the noise even today.
More than pithy one-liners, his words are masterclasses in persuasion - urging us to respect the consumer, champion big ideas, and sell with integrity, not gimmicks.
Here’s a curated list of David Ogilvy’s most influential and oft-quoted lines - each brimming with the sharpness and integrity that defined his career:
1. "The consumer isn't a moron. She is your wife."
2. "Tell the truth, but make the truth fascinating."
3. "You cannot bore people into buying your product - you can only interest them in buying it."
4. "If each of us hires people who are bigger than we are, we shall become a company of giants."
5. "The best ideas come as jokes. Make your thinking as funny as possible."
6. "What you say in advertising is more important than how you say it."
7. "If each of us hires people who are bigger than we are, we shall become a company of giants."
8. "If you ever find a man who is better than you are - hire him. If necessary, pay him more than you pay yourself."
9. "Where people aren't having fun, they seldom produce good work."
10. "The more you tell, the more you sell."
11. "A good advertisement is one which sells the product without drawing attention to itself."
Ogilvy’s brilliance lies in his ability to strip advertising of its pretensions and expose its beating heart: respect, clarity, and creativity.
His words outlast flashy campaigns because they remind us of something simple - ads aren’t for awards, they’re for people.
In an era dominated by data, algorithms, and endless noise, Ogilvy’s voice cuts through like it always did: sharp, witty, and endlessly relevant.
