Tag Archives: David Ogilvy

Branding: understanding the importance of trust

By April 23 2013, 9:04 am Leave a comment

When I joined the advertising business, there was a new buzzword called ‘marketing’. Few knew what it meant. At Ogilvy & Mather, where my career was born, we had a guy – yes, one person in the whole agency – whose job was to explain this new concept to our clients.

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A creative insight into the Euro crisis

By December 12 2011, 8:34 am 6 Comments

We are surrounded by news of the Eurozone. But what positive solutions have we offered by way of Big Society neighbourly help? Or have we just covered our own backsides?

I am proud that our country punches above its weight in creative talent. In technology, music, drama, film, television, comedy and, yes, advertising, Great Britain is a creative force.

Have we mobilised this talent? Can we help by finding a creative solution to this crisis? In this spirit, I would like to offer some ‘upstream’ creative thinking of my own. Read more »

The affliction of intellectuals who see all sides of an argument

By November 15 2011, 8:52 am Leave a comment

Last week, I read the obituary of former Cabinet Minister, Sir Timothy Raison. He served under Edward Heath and Margaret Thatcher, apparently ‘gaining a reputation as the keeper of the party’s conscience on such issues as immigration, refugees, child benefit and social policy’. Bigots would instantly dismiss him as ‘Tory’. To me, it seems he was a good man. My condolences to his friends and family.

One particular sentence in his obituary resonated with me:

‘he suffered from that common affliction of intellectuals: the ability to see all sides of an argument’.

Early in my career, I worked with people like this. They are not evil. Nor do they mean any harm. In fact, as Sir Timothy appears to have been, they may even be kind, considerate and well meaning.

But they can be a nightmare to work with. Read more »

NHS – a ‘sick’ future

By June 6 2011, 8:04 am 1 Comment

I have a dilemma. As ‘A Different Hat’ on www.BrandRepublic.com, this is my 100th post.

So I want to make it really special. I want to write about the NHS. Because the NHS is really, really special. And I have an ‘upstream’ creative solution that may secure its future.

But when I saw a full-page article on the NHS this week, even I could not face reading a full page of political treacle. This is my dilemma.

So here goes.

I know a lot about the NHS – personally and professionally. I was paid to do a project on the NHS brand. A summary of my solution is on Page 5 of this document: A Different Hat.   Read more »

WPP’s cultural influence

By June 16 2010, 6:33 am Leave a comment

In the 11 June Campaign feature on WPP’s 25th anniversary, and in the
editorial which discussed ‘why opinion will always be divided over Sorrell’,
one factor was not mentioned, but which I think is very important –
especially since the eruption of this horrendous and divisive BP crisis. 

Before WPP bought them, all of the four agency networks – JWT, Ogilvy,
Y&R and Grey – were American owned and managed out of the US.

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