Best Ads Ever: David Ogilvy's Rolls-Royce Advert
This ad did 2 things...
1. Increased Rolls-Royce sales by 50%
2. Kickstarted David Ogilvy's career in advertising.
Ogilvy called it: "The best headline I ever wrote."
Here are 3 under-discussed lessons from it:
Lesson 1 - The Lindy Headline Principle
Ogilvy would obsess over the headline.
When people view your advert, most will read the headline and then drop off.
80% of your time should be spent on the most important thing: The headline.
This principle is Lindy.
It works the same in the 1960s as it does in 2023.
E.g. Most people will not watch more than 2-3 seconds of an Instagram ad or Twitter ad.
Lesson 2 - Get Your Hands Dirty
He was religious about understanding the product.
Ogilvy would get his hands dirty.
You can tell he knew Rolls-Royce better than most Rolls-Royce employees did.
"Advertising people who ignore research are as dangerous as generals who ignore decodes of enemy signals." - Ogilvy
Lesson 3 - Attention To Detail
Ogilvy's knowledge of Rolls-Royce was so good, that when the Chief Engineer read the advert he said:
"It is time we did something about that damned clock"
Ogilvy's adverts had so much attention to detail, the Chief Engineer at Rolls-Royce had a new item on his to-do list.
A 22-year-old follower recently messaged me asking for career advice.
Here are the 5 pieces of advice I shared:
1. Swallow the Frog: This is one of the greatest "hacks" to get ahead early in your career. Observe your boss, figure out what they hate doing, learn to do it, and take it off their plate. Easy win.
2. Do the "Old Fashioned" Things Well: There are simple things that still stand out. Look people in the eye, do what you say you'll do, be early, practice good posture, have a confident handshake. It sounds silly, but these things are all free and will never go out of style.
3. Work Hard First (& Smart Later): It's in vogue to say that working smart is all that matters. Wrong. If you want to accomplish anything meaningful, you have to start by working hard. Build a reputation for hard work—take pride in it. Then you can start to build leverage to work smart.
4. Build Storytelling Skills: World-changing CEOs aren't the smartest or most talented in their organizations. They are exceptional at: (1) Aggregating data and (2) Communicating it simply & effectively. Data in, story out. Build that skill and you'll always be valuable.
5. Build a Rep for Figuring It Out: Early on, you'll be given a lot of tasks you have no idea how to complete. There's nothing more valuable than someone who can just figure it out. Do some work, ask the key questions, get it done. People will fight over you.
Embrace those 5 pieces of advice and I guarantee you'll stand out and be on the right track.
If you enjoyed this or learned something, follow me @SahilBloom for more in the future.
How I fixed my smartphone addiction:
I have 2 phones - Cocaine Phone & Kale Phone
Here's how it works:
1. The Smartphone Paradox - Your phone is a gateway to the world's best knowledge -- and the world's best distractions.
It's like having the best teachers, strip clubs, and social clubs in your pocket 24-7.
2. Society's Solution - There are 2 paths people use to deal with the smartphone paradox:
• Phone addict - Glued to phone constantly.
• Phoneless luddite - No access to the best technology of this century so far.
You either burn out or miss out.
Instead, there's a 3rd door nobody in society is talking about: The Cocaine-Kale Phone protocol.
3. The Cocaine-Kale Protocol
I have 2 phones:
• Kale Phone - Full stack serotonin. Only notes, Kindle, Uber, Maps, and emergency number for 2-3 people to call.
• Cocaine Phone - Full stack dopamine. Twitter. Instagram. TikTok. WhatsApp. Anyone can contact.
4. How does the Kale Phone work?
I can check this 24-7 - but it's so damn vanilla I don't feel the need to.
If I want to procrastinate on it, I must read a book or generate ideas in my notes. (Win-Win)
I get 90% of the upsides of having a phone -- with none of the addiction.
5. How does the Cocaine Phone work?
I don't check it until ∼12pm on weekdays and ∼2pm on weekends.
I still get the optionality that smartphones and social media produce.
But I don't consume it 24-7 until my brain melts.
6. What are the impacts?
• The Kale Phone resets your baseline.
• Your Cocaine phone feels too intense after 60 minutes per day. You start to crave the Kale phone.
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I get countless DM's of people who have said this has fixed their smartphone addiction.
Look at this 1950s beach pic, everyone fit as a fiddle! No keto, vegan, or paleo diets. No gym memberships, no fancy fitness tech or wellness influencers. They also weren't drinking protein shakes or counting calories.
So what went wrong? A THREAD 🧵⬇️
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Afterwards we'll be hosting a happy hour with drinks, food and an opportunity to connect with your industry peers on August 10th and 11th.
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