What was so special about David Ogilvy?

Ogilvy and Mather: What is David Ogvily's secret technique for selecting promises which he refers to in his 1963 book?

• "Finally, we have developed a  technique for selecting basic promises which is so valuable that my partners forbid me to reveal it", David Ogilvy, Confessions of an Advertising Man

• Answer:

  I cannot say exactly what he did. What I can tell you is this: David was one of the best salesmen of the last century. He intrigued people with his flamboyant style, the way he was when he was in the same room with you and his charm, incisiveness and clarity of thinking. The fact that you are posting this question about a single statement in a 1963 (!) book is testimony to that. The statement is also proof that the technique worked. It is in and by itself a "basic promise" to (prospective) customers of Ogilvy & Mather. A book is a superb outsized business card. David was a real innovator in his days. He worked with Gallup prior to founding O & M and became passionate about research. So instead of doing seat of the pants campaigns, most advertisements and campaigns were tested. This was a real novelty in those days and it worked and still does. When he started out in 1946 he made a list with his team of the 10 clients they wanted to work for. They landed all of them and some 70 years later, 7 or 8 are still or again clients. An example is American Express, which was a fledgling travelers cheque company at the time. That's an account that went from $ 120,000 to one of the biggest advertising budgets in the world over time. Talking about strategic foresight. A more direct answer to your question: Probably: A deep understanding of brands, their USPs and story; Qualitative research to figure out how that translates into a few brand/basic promises; deeply understanding & researching the most promising demographics a product caters to; Testing these brand promises in focus groups; Developing campaigns on the basis of that; Testing those; applying metrics to measure impact and results; Success. Example: "At 60 miles an hour the loudest noise in this Rolls-Royce comes from the electric clock." (headline for a Rolls Royce print ad, 1958) Demographic: HNWI Drivers: prestige, status, comfort, peace,... Underlying basic promise: all of the above.