(It should be noted that the book cover above is from Ogilvy’s 1983 book. The book Roger referred to ‘Confessions of an Ad Man’ is here. I didn’t use that picture because it was so ugly. Pity!)

Oh, the Og’s! ‘Confessions of Advertising Man’ (1963) is full of ready made pith. Slick and easily digestable, it offers the kind of bumper sticker axioms a man could build his life around. Still, it does make for some kicky reading. Below are choice quotes regarding individuality and advertising. Seeing as how Don lost a little bit of the former to the latter.

*Few of the great creators have bland personalities. They are cantankerous egotists, the kind of men who are unwelcome in the modern corporation.

*Madison Avenue is full of masochists who unconsciously provoke rejection by their clients. I know brilliant men who have lost every account they have ever handled.

*One of the most brilliant colleagues I ever had was blackballed by three clients in one year; the experience hurt him so badly that he left the agency business forever. If you are too thin-skinned to survive this hazard, you should not become an account executive in the advertising agency.

*Nowadays it is the fashion to pretend that no single individual is ever responsible for a successful advertising campaign. This emphasis on “teamwork” is bunkum - a conspiracy of the mediocre majority.

*I despise toadies who suck up to their bosses; they are generally the same people who bully their subordinates.

*I believe in the Scottish proverb: “Hard work never killed a man.” Men die of boredom, psychological conflict and disease. They do not die of hard work.”

Just to reiterate: Don is NOT bored.

• Thanks to designer Mark Malazarte for compiling these quotes and being a fabulous pen-pal!

12:05am | 18 notes | Advertising | David Ogilvy