“A thousand apologies, Oh Effendi”

In the adventure books I devoured by the shedload when I was a kid that line that was always delivered by people like camel drivers in exotic lands …

Anyhow, it’s my way of apologising for putting up a dodgy link yesterday — I missed out the .com in http://www.draytonbirdcommonsense.com/davidogilvy

I realised two sad things when watching the video: I am just three years younger than the great man was when he made that video; and no matter how hard I work in the time I have left I will never have such a presence.

I have lots of stories about David (as does anyone who knew him), but here are two that thrilled me beyond measure at the time.

I made a speech to our office heads in Barcelona around the time David made that video. He was going to be there, so I was terrified out of my wits – didn’t sleep a wink the night before.

When I stood up he wasn’t there, then he suddenly appeared. He was delayed by an interview with a journalist, who asked him “What’s the worst interview you’ve ever had, Mr. Ogilvy?”

He replied: “This one. A friend of mine is about to give a speech next door and I want to listen to him. Good day to you.”

After I left O & M we kept in touch. One day he rang me up and said, “I’m terribly worried about money. Would you like to do some seminars with me?”

I was as pleased as Punch.

I said, “That’s immensely flattering, David, and I’d love to – but it’s not necessary. People will always be happy to pay you a lot of money to add the lustre of your name to theirs.”

This thing about making speeches was a running joke with us. He once rang me and began the conversation with “Good morning,. Just back from making another speech, eh?”

When he first criticised me I told him I made speeches because every time I did so I had to learn something or think about something carefully, and it did me good.

And to answer Tony Gedge, yes, I still make speeches. Maybe ten a year. And people seem to like them, as they pay good money.

In the next few months, South Africa, Slovenia, the U.S. – but not the U.K. for some reason. Here’s a little clip from something I did for Ordnance Survey last year.

About the Author

In 2003, the Chartered Institute of Marketing named Drayton one of 50 living individuals who have shaped today’s marketing.

He has worked in 55 countries with many of the world’s greatest brands. These include American Express, Audi, Bentley, British Airways, Cisco, Columbia Business School, Deutsche Post, Ford, IBM, McKinsey, Mercedes, Microsoft, Nestle, Philips, Procter & Gamble, Toyota, Unilever, Visa and Volkswagen.

Drayton has helped sell everything from Airbus planes to Peppa Pig. His book, Commonsense Direct and Digital Marketing, out in 17 languages, has been the UK’s best seller on the subject every year since 1982. He has also run his own businesses in the U.K., Portugal and Malaysia.

He was a main board member of the Ogilvy Group, a founding member of the Superbrands Organisation, one of the first eight Honorary Fellows of the Institute of Direct Marketing and one of the first three people named to the Hall of Fame of the Direct Marketing Association of India. He has also been given Lifetime Achievement Awards by the Caples Organisation in New York and Early To Rise in Florida.

5 Comments

  1. tonygedge

    Drayton, Looks like you've been working out? Charles Atlas style?

  2. draytonbird

    Believe it or not, Tony, I do exercise – not a tremendous amount, but most days

  3. tonygedge

    You can tell. Good for you. I'm jealous!

  4. tonygedge

    David Ogilvy, Drayton Bird, Tony Gedge , Rise, Fall Of Social Media Tofus, http://bit.ly/bSvv4S

  5. draytonbird

    Thank you; and nicely full of veiled fury at ill-informed idiots

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