Issue #29 A Rare 1977 David Ogilvy Interview and How to Get Very Good Ideas?
Helping your business create wealth with words
Hey Friend,
In business and life, I found this line by Robin Sharma true.
All change is hard at first, messy in the middle and so gorgeous at the end.
I feel like I’ve entered the messy middle as I am trying to figure out my new brand identity from a freelance writer and copywriter to a business owner, consultant, children’s story writer, or all of them.
What phase are you in the ever-changing landscape of life?
Now let’s dig into our regular sections…
Golden Copywriting Quote
“Copywriting is the engine that drives the marketing machine.”
— Demian Farnworth
Cool Copywriting Tip
The best way to get a good idea is to get a lot of ideas written down.
I was writing 25–30 email subject lines or headlines. Later I learned many copywriting greats wrote 100+ headlines for a piece of copy before choosing a few to test.
You could now use AI headline-generation tools. The cool thing you’ll most likely discover by doing this is — you’ll often end up remixing two to three headlines to come up with a cool headline. They all just seem to come together.
Landing Page Ad Breakdown
Research, surveys, testimonials, feedback, or new requests are all crucial for businesses.
Creating custom forms is a requisite for businesses. Grabbing onto that common issue, the headline of the landing page “Make forms worth filling out” offers hope.
The sub-title highlights they are “refreshingly different”.
Also the CTA “Get started-it’s free” is clear for new prospects.
On the pricing page, the pricing is tiered well from Basic, Plus, Business, and Enterprise.”
Also a visible link to the free plan with a “or get a taste with our free plan” ensures there is something for everyone.The home page also includes stats on why they should consider typeform.
The page is a great example of what a SaaS website should look like.
Book Recommendation
A technique for producing ideas — James Webb Young
Unlocking Your Creative Wellspring: A Look at James Webb Young’s “A Technique for Producing Ideas”
Ever wonder where those brilliant ideas come from?
In “A Technique for Producing Ideas,” advertising legend James Webb Young dispels the myth of creativity as a mystical gift that belongs to the chosen few.
Young reveals a practical, five-step method for anyone to generate fresh ideas on demand.
Here are the key takeaways
Fuel Your Creativity: Great ideas are born from a rich store of knowledge. Young emphasizes gathering “raw materials” — both specific information about your project and general knowledge from a wide range of subjects.
Work It Out: Don’t just passively absorb information. Actively analyze and synthesize your gathered materials. Play with them, question them, and see how they might connect.
The Power of Unplugging: Sometimes, the best ideas appear when we least expect them. After the intense mental workout of collecting and analyzing raw material, step away from the problem and allow your subconscious to make the connections.
Go for a walk, listen to music, or do anything that energizes you.The Aha! Moment: The idea will eventually surface, often unexpectedly. Be ready to capture it!
Refine and Polish: Don’t expect your first draft to be a masterpiece. Young highlights the importance of shaping and developing your initial idea into a practical and effective solution.
One quote I loved in the book
“An idea is nothing more nor less than a new combination of old elements.”
“A Technique for Producing Ideas” is a short but potent guide for anyone looking to boost their creative problem-solving skills. With its timeless wisdom and actionable steps, this book can help you transform from an idea-starved soul to a creative powerhouse.
Even if it’s geared towards advertising professionals, Young’s framework is also applicable to any field.
Give it a read
Useful Copywriting Resource
This is a complete interview of the legendary David Ogilvy aka “pope of advertising” interviewed by John Crichton in 1977 ,American Association of Advertising Agencies AAAA.
The conversation covers Ogilvy’s career path, his thoughts on what makes a good advertisement, and his views on the future of advertising.
Specifically, Ogilvy talks about how he started working in advertising because he couldn’t get a job at Young & Rubicam, the agency he admired. He then discusses his belief that research is an important part of the creative process, and how he got his first advertising job by coming up with an idea for an ad campaign on the train home one night.
Ogilvy also shares his thoughts on some of the most famous advertising campaigns he created, including the Hathaway shirt campaign with the man in the eyepatch. He concludes the interview by offering advice to young creative people on how to create good advertising, emphasizing the importance of ambition and great ideas.
Save it and listen to it.
That’s it for today.
Stay Zesty,
Brinda Koushik
Tech Content Marketing Writer
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