David Ogilvy Quotes

We like people who are honest. Honest in argument, honest with clients, honest with suppliers, honest with the company - and above all, honest with consumers.

I don't take on a product unless I believe in it. I use everything that I sell.

I have always felt that promoting somebody else's mistake as a superlative product is not my cup of tea.

I have been known for my courtesy on and off the bench.

I don't want to be on the other side of the table from the customer. I was never selling anything that I didn't believe in myself or use myself.

I don't know how to sell out. If I tried to sell out I don't think I could.

The basis of good manners is self-reliance. Necessity is the law of all who are not self-possessed.

I've always had two principles throughout all my life in motion-pictures: never do before the camera what you would not do at home and never do at home what you would not do before the camera.

The society of women is the element of good manners.

When in doubt, tell the truth. That maxim I did invent, but never expected it to be applied to me. I did say, "When you are in doubt," but when I am in doubt myself I use more sagacity.

You'll nip anybody who's coming at you with bullshit. You don't play around. You take this craft very seriously. It's what separates you, what separates an actor from an artist.

When there's friction in the house, the only answer is good manners.

Credibility is to be good. You must be good. That's all I ever wanted - to be good at what I did.

You learn how to do good work by being honest with yourself.

The people I look up to the most - politicians, actors, artists - are the people who manage to do a high-powered job while staying themselves. They aren't afraid to be nice.

It is the privilege of any human work which is well done to invest the doer with a certain haughtiness. He can well afford not to conciliate, whose faithful work will answer for him.

what we need in the world is manners ... I think that if, instead of preaching brotherly love, we preached good manners, we might get a little further. It sounds less righteous and more practical.

It is no use lying to one's self.

Truth is such a precious article - let us all economize in its use.

[Ed Lauter] was an actor's actor. I love working with that class of actor. You know, they come in, they do it, no bullshit. There's no artifice, there's no fanciness, they're just honest and tough and direct.

Be respectful to your superiors, if you have any.

We're at a time now where there's a lot more "I'll do whatever it takes" attitude. I'm not going to say or do what you want me to say or do just because it might help me or be the politically correct thing to do to help my career. And that may have hurt me sometimes. I think about different collaborations that have been brought my way - it might have meant I'd get to be on TV to do certain things, but I've said, "No. It doesn't make sense. I'm not doing it." And other people might jump at the opportunity.

It is of very little use in trying to be dignified, if dignity is no part of your character.

Good manners make any man a pleasure to be with. Ask any woman.

The essence of good manners consists in making it clear that one has no wish to hurt. When it is clearly necessary to hurt, it must be done in such a way as to make it evident that the necessity is felt to be regrettable.