"I'll Call You"

I promise.

I have like so many become reliant on e-mail, Facebook, and Twitter for most of my correspondence with friends, relatives, and co-workers these days. On average I get anywhere from 50 to 60 e-mails on a typical day. That's just my office e-mail account. Add another dozen or so with G-mail. Our technology has allowed for more communication but it is often hurried without the proper niceties. Voice mail is another form of communication that clogs up our days. We stare at the blinking light and wonder if we have enough time between all of our other daily responsibilities to return a few calls. More often than not, we don't get to those callers as quickly as we would like.

The other day I had watched a video online that featured David Ogilvy giving a Pep Talk to the Direct Marketing group at Ogilvy & Mather in New York Circa 1977. I was curious about the video and what was behind asking the man to come out of retirement long enough to film a speech. I worked for a Creative Director years ago who is currently Worldwide Creative Director for Ogilvy and I decided to get in touch with him. Thinking maybe there was a slim chance he would be in his office and I could ask a few questions about the video, I called. His secretary put me through to his voice mail.

A day later I was on my way home from the office when my cell rang and the area code was 212. It was David Fowler calling me back. We spoke for a few minutes and I thanked him for returning my call. The exchange somehow meant a lot more to me than a text, an e-mail or a comment on my Facebook wall. He took time out of his busy day to call back. It dawned on me that I may have neglected people in my own life by hiding behind the easier and less personal methods of modern communication.

I have another Creative Director friend with whom I've stayed in touch over the years and he laments often (and sounds very much like my mother) that I never call him back. Well Glenn, I promise to call you back when you leave a message, you too mom.

Forget Nostradomus, David Ogilvy was a true Prophet.

I don't know of any other ad man who had so many rules as David Ogilvy had regarding art direction and copy as they related to advertising and direct mail. Some friends of mine would still roll their eyes and scoff at such hard and fast rules as "NEVER use all cap headlines" "Long copy is always better than short" And let us not forget my favorite; "No Reveresed Copy"

Shortly after attending a seminar about where the advertising agency business is headed, I found a video on You Tube of David Ogilvy. It looks as though it was shot on 16mm film complete pops, scratches & flutter. What a great find. As you watch this, keep in mind all that you've heard and read over the last few years about the internet and how it's changing the game. In particular David's words about Direct VS. General advertising. He speaks about the importance of measurability. Was he really ahead of his time or are we in the same business we've always been with a bigger toolbox? Just when I was ready to accept the old ad men who came before us (and the internet) as somewhat irrelevant in today's world, I am reminded that David Ogilvy had it right already, he just didn't have a laptop with internet access.