I try to imagine what went through David Ogilvy’s head when he decided to take on television.
He was already a king in print.
But being great in one medium does not guarantee success in another. In fact, it can make the risk even bigger. Ogilvy had more to lose because his reputation was already built.
And television was not a sure thing for advertising men at the time.
Leo Burnett learned that the hard way. His Schlitz campaign failed so badly that he was fired.
So Ogilvy was not walking into an easy win. He was stepping into a new format where even legends could stumble.
But he did not rely on print tricks and hope they would work on screen. He carried over the thing that mattered most: credibility.
His authority did not come from the medium. It came from the way he thought.
That is the lesson.
When you move into a new format, your old status will not save you. But your core strengths can travel with you.
RW
