Here are 50 popular quotes from David Ogilvy's influential book, Ogilvy on Advertising, which tells us about his deep insights and philosophy on advertising and beyond:

“The consumer isn't a moron; she is your wife. Don't insult her intelligence, and don't shock her.”

“If each of us hires people who are bigger than we are, we shall become a company of giants.”

“I do not regard advertising as entertainment or an art form, but as a medium of information.”

“When I write an advertisement, I don’t want you to tell me that you find it ‘creative.’ I want you to find it so interesting that you buy the product.”

“The most effective leader is the one who satisfies the psychological needs of his followers.”

“Some copywriters write tricky headlines – double meanings, puns and other obscurities. This is counter-productive.”

“It takes a big idea to attract the attention of consumers and get them to buy your product.”

“Much of the messy advertising you see on television today is the product of committees.”

“Never write an advertisement which you wouldn’t want your family to read.”

“Big ideas come from the unconscious. But your unconscious has to be well informed, or your idea will be irrelevant.”

“Advertising is only evil when it advertises evil things.”

“What you say in advertising is more important than how you say it.”

“On the average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy.”

“The headlines which work best are those which promise the reader a benefit.”

“Consumers buy products whose advertising promises them value for money, beauty, nutrition, relief from suffering, social status and so on.”

“Dull products exist only because there are dull writers.”

“You aren’t advertising to a standing army; you are advertising to a moving parade.”

“Do not address your readers as though they were gathered together in a stadium.”

“The personality of a product is an amalgam of many things – its name, its packaging, its price, the style of its advertising, and the nature of the product itself.”

“If you’re lucky enough to write a good advertisement, repeat it until it stops selling.”

“Tell your prospective client what your weak points are before he notices them.”

“Sound an alarm! Advertising, not deals, builds brands.”

“Only amateurs use short copy.”

“Develop your eccentricities while you are young; that way, when you get old, people won’t think you’re going gaga.”

“Never allow two people to do a job which one could do.”

“The best ads come from personal experience.”

“The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn’t said.”

"The best advertising is done by satisfied customers."

"In advertising, not all advertising increases sales."

"You cannot bore people into buying your product."

"If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough."

"An ad should be like a good story."

"People don’t buy products; they buy better versions of themselves."

"Good advertising does not just circulate information; it penetrates the public mind with desires and belief."

"Every advertisement should be thought of as a contribution to the complex symbol which is the brand."

"Your job is to sell; if you can’t sell, then you’re not doing your job."

"Advertising is about values."

"A great ad campaign will make a bad product fail faster."

"The greatest ideas come from the subconscious mind."

"The most successful campaigns are built on insights into human behavior."

"A good advertisement is one that sells the product without being noticed."

"Creative without strategy is called ‘art.’ Creative with strategy is called ‘advertising.’"

"The best way to increase sales isn’t to advertise effectively—it’s to supply good products."

"Good copy can make a mediocre product sell; bad copy can kill even the best product."

"Every advertisement should be thought of as a contribution to the complex symbol which is the brand."

"People remember great ads; they don’t remember great ads that don’t sell."

"Advertising should be informative rather than persuasive."

"In advertising, honesty pays off in the long run."

"Your brand is what other people say about you when you're not in the room."

"Advertising doesn’t just create demand; it creates needs."

These quotes reflect Ogilvy's belief in clarity, honesty, and understanding consumer psychology in creating of the timeless advertisements the world has seen.

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