David Ogilvy is the godfather of the modern advertising industry. He started his agency, Ogilvy & Mather, at 38, and quickly catapulted to the top of the advertising profession. Today, we'll learn exactly how he did that. Through a combination of relentless persistence and "professional research", Ogilvy was deemed the king of advertising only a decade after entering the business. He used his long-form campaigns to create multiple industry leaders, from Rolls Royce to Shell to American Express. As he gained more success, Ogilvy started to leave an imprint on the entire industry, establishing the concept of a brand image. Within his own company, Ogilvy preached the value of developing talent, aiming to be the "teaching hospital" of the advertising world. Ogilvy has a way with words and is an excellent teacher of advertising principles. This episode ought to be useful for anyone looking to reach the top of their profession, build a world-class organization, or advertise effectively to their customers.

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The King of Madison Avenue: David Ogilvy and the Making of Modern Advertising - Kenneth Roman

Runnin' Down a Dream: How to Succeed and Thrive in a Career You Love - Bill Gurley

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Recommendation of the Week: The Prestige - Christopher Nolan

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The Web of Ideas: The King of Madison Avenue (my notes on the book)

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Show Notes:

4:10 - A real-life Don Draper

7:38 - Driven by his father's failures and sibling jealousy

12:36 - Selling Aga cookers door to door

22:24 - An Obsession with advertising

26:19 - Seeking out the experts - Claude Hopkins and John Caples

30:03 - Work hard in the dark to shine in the light

37:21 - Describe the process technique with Rolls Royce

42:02 - Ogilvy becomes "the apostle of the brand image"

45:35 - Ogilvy & Mather will be the teaching hospital of the advertising world

48:36 - Winning over General Foods, Shell, & AMEX

53:30 - Devote your genius to making the cash register ring

1:00:24 - You must know it to the dollar to have an edge