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20 Ogilvy Print Ads

Ads
Print Ads
Ogilvy
·
Updated on May 26, 2025·
david-ogilvy.webp

This is a big list of all the most famous David Ogilvy print ads. These span from the 1950's to the 1980's, and are some of the best performing print ads of all time.

1. How Sears Sold Trust with a 5% Profit Margin

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This vintage Sears ad nails consumer psychology by showing a pile of coins next to a promise: their profit is...

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2. David Ogilvy’s “Confessions of a Magazine Reader”: A Masterclass in Persuasive Writing

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This vintage ad by David Ogilvy, titled “Confessions of a Magazine Reader,” is a brilliant example of how to turn...

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3. American Express Turns a Diamond into a Punchline

american-express-turns-a-diamond-into-a-punchline-f9298b6a.png

This classic American Express ad grabs you in an instant. Big, bold type asks, “How to buy a diamond,” but...

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4. The Credit Card That Sold You Jeans (and Everything Else)

the-credit-card-that-sold-you-jeans-and-everything-else-3062a3ce.png

This vintage American Express ad nails emotional marketing with a twist. It looks like a jeans ad at first glance—but...

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5. The Clever Copy Behind “How to Buy Jeans”

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This vintage American Express ad doesn’t actually teach you how to buy jeans—it sells you on how to *pay* for...

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6. How American Express Sold More Than Just a Card

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This vintage American Express ad nails simplicity and persuasion. It hooks you instantly with a relatable promise—‘How to buy a...

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7. How American Express Used Humor to Make Trust Memorable

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This vintage American Express ad nails a simple idea with clever humor. Rather than a boring pitch about safety, it...

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8. How American Express Used Humor to Sell Trust

how-american-express-used-humor-to-sell-trust-a1345692.png

This vintage American Express ad turns a robbery scene into a confidence pitch for their Travelers Cheques. The cartoon-style image...

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9. How American Express Sold 'Peace of Mind' With Humor

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This vintage American Express ad nails the art of visual persuasion. A man struggles to carry a huge safe while...

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10. Vintage Advertising: How American Express Sold 'Safe Spending'

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This vintage American Express Travelers Cheques ad is a masterclass in combining humor, storytelling, and cultural tropes to sell trust....

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11. The Honeymoon Advertisement That Sold Peace of Mind

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This vintage American Express ad cleverly uses humor and emotion to sell financial security. A cartoon bride refuses to leave...

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12. Why an Armored Car Won’t Make You Feel Safer (But This Ad Might)

why-an-armored-car-wont-make-you-feel-safer-but-this-ad-0dddc7eb.png

This vintage American Express ad nails humor and persuasion in one shot. It shows a couple standing proudly by their...

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13. How American Express Made Furniture Shopping Fun

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This vintage American Express ad grabs attention instantly. A man tilts back gleefully in a fancy rocking chair beneath the...

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14. How American Express Turned a Hairbrush Into a Status Symbol

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This vintage American Express ad doesn’t sell a brush at all—but it makes you want to swipe your card with...

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15. How a Credit Card Sold the Dream of Skating

how-a-credit-card-sold-the-dream-of-skating-447a0174.png

This vintage American Express ad looks like it’s about roller skates—but it’s really selling confidence, lifestyle, and status. The headline,...

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16. How American Express Sold Status With A Simple Tagline

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This vintage American Express ad blends prestige, practicality, and humor to sell a lifestyle, not just a credit card. With...

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17. American Express: Turning Shopping Into Status

american-express-turning-shopping-into-status-6931ba33.png

This vintage American Express ad is classy, confident, and perfectly targeted. The hand-drawn illustrations give it a high-end yet approachable...

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18. What's in Store with American Express: A Lesson in Prestige Marketing

whats-in-store-with-american-express-a-lesson-in-presti-ce5395d7.png

This vintage American Express ad nails the art of associating a product with prestige and access. It doesn’t just sell...

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19. How Singha Beer Made Thai TV Ads Work

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This vintage Ogilvy & Mather ad for Singha Beer is more than just nostalgia—it’s a masterclass in crafting culturally resonant...

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20. When Ads Look Like Science: The Genius of Data-Driven Marketing

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The image shows a vintage-style print ad packed with dense text, charts, and pseudo-academic formatting. It looks less like a...

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Sincerely,
Swipe File - Fans of David Ogilvy

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