Ogilvy CEO says founder culture perpetuates, as opposed to the personification of market leaders, which “doesn’t last”
One of the most important names in the history of global advertising, also known as the “father of advertising”, the legacy of David Ogilvy lives on and strongly inspires the culture of Ogilvy & Mather, an agency he founded more than 70 years ago, to this day. years old. Luiz Fernando Musa, CEO of Ogilvy Brasil, founder and chairman of David – created in 2011 –, considers that a clear separation must be made between the personification of leaders, which took over the market some time ago, and the culture of the founder.
“The personification, I understand, is much more about the presence or concentration of a figure who, in his day-to-day work, starts to have or dictate a more authorial, less collaborative and less diverse work in every way. Which, perhaps, was very much the basis of the market in the past. Where individuals were superimposed on collective work, and there was the ‘figure of the rain maker’, of the ‘creative’, of that person who, in perception alone, did the work. This is really behind us, it no longer fits in the reality of work where different points of view, backgrounds and diversity and the collective add to the work as a whole”, he analyzes.
The founder, on the other hand, like David Ogilvy, a reference for generations of advertisers, has a much more inspiring role in terms of creating culture, serving as inspiration and giving purpose. “Impersonation doesn’t last. Culture, on the other hand, perpetuates and brings meaning to the company. And it inspires, retains, attracts talent and gives soul. The absence of culture simply leads to failure”, evaluates Musa.
Musa points out that David Ogilvy’s legacy is much greater as it is a legacy for the industry. “Rereading and understanding David Ogilvy, with the proper context, is inspiring to this day. See that in the 1960s, he already brought the culture of a founder and posed fundamental and relevant questions today”.
The executive remembers some of David Ogilvy’s phrases that still resonate strongly and are the DNA of the agency’s culture, such as: “We sell or else”. “Hire people better than you and you will have a company of giants”. “The best ideas don’t necessarily come from this or that person’s creative area, they can come from customer service. Encourage creativity in everyone. You will need all the ideas you can get.” “It’s what we call today ‘Pervasive Creativity’, for example”, emphasizes Musa.
Other iconic phrases are: “If you are lucky enough to write a good ad, repeat it until it stops selling”. “I don’t want you to say my ad was creative. I want you to find it so interesting, to buy the product.” “Never write an ad you wouldn’t want your family to read. You wouldn’t tell lies to your own wife. Don’t tell mine.”
Another point of David Ogilvy’s legacy comes from the Divinely Displeased concept. “It’s about the relentless quest to always be better in everyday life and in deliveries, the habits and characteristics of creative communities, curiosity, joy, idealism, intuition, free spirit, persistence and brutal honesty when we put our opinion. Finally, rescuing and living these values adapted and translated into the reality and current possibilities of our industry continue to be the essence of our culture in both companies”, reinforces Musa.
About the profile and similarities between Ogilvy and David, Musa says that there are obviously differences, but also complementarities between them. “After all, David is part of Ogilvy, it is also inspired by the culture of David Ogilvy. With different stories and challenges, but with learnings that we can exchange from side to side, not only for our employees, but also for our customers”, she concludes.