5 Essential Rules for Successful Brand Advertising

David Ogilvy, the pioneer of modern advertising, famously said, when realising a big idea, first ask yourself these key questions:

• Did it make me gasp when I first saw it?
• Do I wish I had thought of this myself?
• Is it unique?
• Does it fit the strategy to perfection?
• Could it be used for 30 years?

It’s worth recalling this timeless advice when embarking on your own creative journey. The tools may have evolved since the publication of David Ogilvy’s seminal book Ogilvy on Advertising in the 1980s – yet despite the dominance of social media, influencer marketing and an increasingly complex web of communications – the fundamentals remain unchanged.​

We often refer to Ogilvy’s words of wisdom when tasked with developing a new advertising campaign for a client – one that is effective now and will withstand the test of time.​

So what are the five golden rules?​

1. Knowledge is always key

Do your homework; become intimate with the brand and the industry in which it operates. There are no shortcuts. The more knowledge you have, the better chance of creating an effective and enduring campaign.​

At our agency, we begin all our projects by getting to know the industry intimately. Be it architecture and the built environment, food, drink and hospitality, or finance and technology, our team thoroughly researches the area. We then run extensive workshops with our client to see how they operate within this context.​

The more you know about the industry – its strengths and weaknesses (and from a global perspective) – the better chance you have of creating something unique and powerful. As Ogilvy would say, never underestimate the power of knowledge.

2. Position the brand effectively

Brand positioning is one of the most important aspects of advertising. It isn’t always obvious either – sometimes a brand may be targeted at a certain audience, but to get their attention, it needs to be positioned at a different level. This increasingly extends to the choice of influencers or bloggers brought on board to promote the brand.​

A relatively new concept in brand positioning, we often see companies work with influencers who clearly don’t share the same brand values. The game may have altered, but Ogilvy’s classic rules still apply: work only with those who share your values. Don’t get greedy.

3. Reflect the brand identity

An ad essentially sells the image of a brand, so how it looks, talks and feels must reflect the overall brand positioning. Since it’s a public-facing image, everything has to work in harmony – from the typeface to images, illustration and the model or celebrity involved. Every little detail counts. To add to the complexity, today’s message must be understood globally, not be culturally exclusive or offensive.​

At Spinach, we work with companies from around the world, so it’s instrumental to use words and images that resonate on an international level.

4. Always message wisely

Messaging is an extremely subtle art form. It involves short, sharp text or long, factual copy, depending on where the ad sits and its target audience. For example, our campaign for Knight Frank saw the brand messaging take pole position. We wanted the customer to be placed at the centre of the ad, so our “Move/Found” campaign introduced the human factor to an otherwise cold industry. We followed the main poster ads with text-heavy campaigns placed in key positions on the London Underground.​

We took a very different approach when working with Campari on its ongoing brand ad campaigns “Ready for Bitter?” and “Invigorate Your G&T”. The Italian drinks giant wanted to raise brand awareness in the UK, so we created a series of highly visual and memorable ads with an intriguing message. The campaigns successfully define Campari as an embodiment of aperitivo culture, a symbol of Milan and of la dolce vita.