Obituary 8212; David Ogilvy

Without question David Ogilvy, who died aged 88, was one of the greatest advertising men of the 20th century. He launched an agency which became 8212; and still is one of the world8217;s largest and most respected. He pioneered a simple but powerful style of creativity which influenced, and continues to influence, advertising creative people everywhere.

And his Confessions Of An Advertising Man is perhaps the best book about advertising ever written. Those three achievements alone qualify him for a leading position in any advertising hall of fame.

Born in England, he was educated at Fettes College, Edinburgh, the prime minister8217;s alma mater. From there he went to Christ Church, Oxford where, he said with characteristic directness he made a botch of things and left without a degree. It was in 1948, in New York, when he launched the agency which has come to be Ogilvy amp; Mather, that he truly came into his own. He was already in his late 30s and later liked to point out that he had never penned an advertisementuntil he was 39 extraordinary in a business thought of as a young man8217;s game. He launched his new agency with 8220;no clients, no credentials and only 6,000 in the bank8221;. Within 20 years he had won business from Lever Brothers, General Foods, American Express, Shell and Sears. And Fortune magazine had dubbed him a genius. At the same time he was building a global agency network not an easy task for somebody to whom flying was anathema.