Came across a fascinating post about advertising legend David Ogilvy…
…at a rather interesting site called “Letters Of Note – Correspondence Deserving Of A Wider Audience”.
The post is titled…
…and covers a letter that Ogilvy wrote in 1955 in reply to a question asking for details about how he actually wrote an ad.
Ogilvy relates a 12 step process. Here is my summary…
1. Find a place to work without interruptions
2. Study the competition and ads for competing products
3. Gathered research material, especially about buyers
4. Get clear on the sales problem and the objective of the campaign. Make sure the client is on the same page
5. Gather as many ideas as possible that could help in the sale
6. Write headlines
7. Write first draft of the actual main copy
8. Rewrite…if necessary (usually it will be)
9. If stuck, take a break.
10. Resume!
11. Complete the draft
12. Edit
Well worth reading the whole thing for Ogilvy’s original writing and some amusing “real world” insights into the man.
There is a process to writing good copy. Not everybody goes about it the same way, but every successful copywriter I’ve come across has a system of some sort.
One thing that always strikes me is the importance of research – of doing your homework. Great copy rarely appears out of thin air…it’s usually the result of application, hard work and, ultimately, testing.
Ogilvy himself was very insistent about the importance of research. Interesting how the advertising business appears to have changed since his time.
In his day, Ogilvy epitomised the “creative advertising man”. Yet with his emphasis on research and strong support of direct response…
…he would probably be out of place in the modern mainstream ad industry.