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Ogilvy Copywriting Principles

奥格威文案撰写原则

Master David Ogilvy's timeless advertising principles from "Confessions of an Advertising Man" (1963). The Father of Advertising's rules for copy that sells.

掌握大卫·奥格威在《一个广告人的自白》（1963年）中提出的永恒广告原则。这位“广告之父”的文案销售法则。

When to Use This Skill

何时使用这项技能

Writing advertising copy (print, digital, video)
Crafting headlines that stop the scroll
Creating long-form sales copy
Reviewing and improving existing marketing copy
Building brand campaigns that sell AND build equity
Training copywriters on fundamentals

撰写广告文案（平面、数字、视频）
创作能吸引用户停留的标题
撰写长篇销售文案
审核并优化现有营销文案
打造既能促进销售又能积累品牌资产的品牌活动
培训文案人员掌握基础技能

Methodology Foundation

方法论基础

Source: David Ogilvy - "Confessions of an Advertising Man" (1963) + "Ogilvy on Advertising" (1983)

Core Principles:

"The consumer is not a moron. She is your wife. Don't insult her intelligence."
"People don't buy the best products; they buy the products they can understand the fastest."
"Tell the truth, but make the truth fascinating."

Ogilvy's Philosophy: Advertising must sell. Brand-building and direct response are not mutually exclusive. Great advertising gives facts, respects the reader, and creates personality—all while driving measurable results.

来源：大卫·奥格威——《一个广告人的自白》（1963年）+《奥格威谈广告》（1983年）

核心原则:

「消费者不是傻瓜，她是你的妻子。不要侮辱她的智商。」
「人们不会买最好的产品，他们只会买最快能理解的产品。」
「讲真话，但要把真话讲得引人入胜。」

奥格威的理念：广告必须促进销售。品牌建设与直接响应并非互斥。优秀的广告提供事实、尊重读者、塑造品牌个性，同时推动可衡量的结果。

What Claude Does vs What You Decide

Claude的工作内容 vs 你的决策事项

Claude Does	You Decide
Structures production workflow	Final creative direction
Suggests technical approaches	Equipment and tool choices
Creates templates and checklists	Quality standards
Identifies best practices	Brand/voice decisions
Generates script outlines	Final script approval

Claude的工作内容	你的决策事项
构建内容产出流程	最终创意方向
提出技术方法建议	设备与工具选择
创建模板和检查表	质量标准
识别最佳实践	品牌/语气决策
生成脚本大纲	最终脚本审批

What This Skill Does

这项技能能做什么

Applies the 7 Ogilvy Principles - Systematic approach to copy excellence
Writes Ogilvy-style headlines - Specific, factual, benefit-driven
Crafts long-form copy - Ogilvy's style of informative, respectful selling
Reviews copy against Ogilvy standards - Identifies weaknesses
Builds brand personality - Consistent voice that sells

应用7项奥格威原则 - 系统化打造优质文案
撰写奥格威风格标题 - 具体、基于事实、突出利益
创作长篇文案 - 奥格威式的信息丰富、尊重受众的销售风格
对照奥格威标准审核文案 - 识别薄弱环节
塑造品牌个性 - 打造能促进销售的一致品牌语气

How to Use

使用方法

Write Headlines Ogilvy-Style

撰写奥格威风格标题

Write 10 Ogilvy-style headlines for:
Product: [description]
Key fact/claim: [specific proof point]

Write 10 Ogilvy-style headlines for:
Product: [description]
Key fact/claim: [specific proof point]

Apply the 7 Principles

应用7项原则

Review this copy against Ogilvy's 7 principles:
[paste copy]

Review this copy against Ogilvy's 7 principles:
[paste copy]

Create Long-Form Copy

创建长篇文案

Write Ogilvy-style body copy for:
Product: [description]
Key facts: [list of facts]
Audience: [who]

Write Ogilvy-style body copy for:
Product: [description]
Key facts: [list of facts]
Audience: [who]

Develop Brand Voice

塑造品牌语气

Define brand voice using Ogilvy's personality framework for:
Brand: [description]
Values: [list]
Audience: [who]

Define brand voice using Ogilvy's personality framework for:
Brand: [description]
Values: [list]
Audience: [who]

Instructions

操作指南

When applying Ogilvy's methods, follow these 7 core principles:

应用奥格威方法时，请遵循以下7项核心原则：

The 7 Ogilvy Principles

7项奥格威原则

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Principle 1: GIVE THE FACTS

The Rule: Present all relevant facts about your product. Facts sell.

Ogilvy: "The more facts you tell, the more you sell. An advertisement's chance for success invariably increases as the number of pertinent merchandise facts included in the advertisement increases."

Application:

Don't be vague—be specific
Include specifications, data, details
Don't assume "boring" facts aren't interesting
Benefits matter, but FACTS prove them

Bad: "Our software is fast" Good: "Our software processes 10,000 transactions per second—4x faster than the industry average"

Bad: "High-quality ingredients" Good: "Made with 100% Arabica beans from the Cerrado region of Brazil, roasted within 72 hours of shipping"

The Rule: Present all relevant facts about your product. Facts sell.

Application:

Don't be vague—be specific
Include specifications, data, details
Don't assume "boring" facts aren't interesting
Benefits matter, but FACTS prove them

Bad: "Our software is fast" Good: "Our software processes 10,000 transactions per second—4x faster than the industry average"

Bad: "High-quality ingredients" Good: "Made with 100% Arabica beans from the Cerrado region of Brazil, roasted within 72 hours of shipping"

Principle 2: BE TRUTHFUL

The Rule: Never lie. Ever.

Ogilvy: "Never write an advertisement which you wouldn't want your own family to read. You wouldn't tell lies to your own wife. Don't tell them to mine."

Application:

Avoid superlatives you can't prove
Never exaggerate results
If you have to hedge, hedge honestly
Good products CAN be sold honestly

Words to Avoid (unless provable):

"Best"
"Revolutionary"
"World's first"
"Guaranteed" (unless it actually is)
"Unique" (rarely true)

Words That Work:

Specific numbers
Verifiable claims
Honest comparisons
Real customer quotes

The Rule: Never lie. Ever.

Ogilvy: "Never write an advertisement which you wouldn't want your own family to read. You wouldn't tell lies to your own wife. Don't tell them to mine."

Application:

Avoid superlatives you can't prove
Never exaggerate results
If you have to hedge, hedge honestly
Good products CAN be sold honestly

Words to Avoid (unless provable):

"Best"
"Revolutionary"
"World's first"
"Guaranteed" (unless it actually is)
"Unique" (rarely true)

Words That Work:

Specific numbers
Verifiable claims
Honest comparisons
Real customer quotes

Principle 3: BE HELPFUL

The Rule: Give value. Help the reader solve problems.

Ogilvy: "Another profitable gambit is to give the reader helpful advice, or service. It hooks about 75 per cent more readers than copy which deals entirely with the product."

Application:

Lead with useful information
Teach something before selling
Position product as helper, not hero
Content marketing before content marketing existed

Structure Template:

Open with helpful insight
Explain the principle
Show how product applies the principle
CTA

The Rule: Give value. Help the reader solve problems.

Ogilvy: "Another profitable gambit is to give the reader helpful advice, or service. It hooks about 75 per cent more readers than copy which deals entirely with the product."

Application:

Lead with useful information
Teach something before selling
Position product as helper, not hero
Content marketing before content marketing existed

Structure Template:

Open with helpful insight
Explain the principle
Show how product applies the principle
CTA

Principle 4: HAVE A BIG IDEA

The Rule: Center everything around one powerful concept.

Ogilvy: "Unless your campaign contains a Big Idea, it will pass like a ship in the night."

Warning: "Most campaigns are too complicated. They reflect a long list of objectives, and try to reconcile the divergent views of too many executives. By attempting to cover too many things, they achieve nothing."

Big Idea Criteria:

Simple enough for a child to understand
Memorable after one exposure
Can sustain years of campaigning
Differentiates meaningfully

Examples:

Snickers: "You're not you when you're hungry"
Avis: "We try harder" (because we're #2)
Rolls-Royce: "At 60 mph, the loudest noise comes from the electric clock"

The Rule: Center everything around one powerful concept.

Ogilvy: "Unless your campaign contains a Big Idea, it will pass like a ship in the night."

Big Idea Criteria:

Simple enough for a child to understand
Memorable after one exposure
Can sustain years of campaigning
Differentiates meaningfully

Examples:

Snickers: "You're not you when you're hungry"
Avis: "We try harder" (because we're #2)
Rolls-Royce: "At 60 mph, the loudest noise comes from the electric clock"

Principle 5: DON'T BE BORING

The Rule: Be interesting. But interesting that SELLS.

Ogilvy: "You cannot bore people into buying your product; you can only interest them in buying it."

How to Be Interesting:

Know your customer deeply
Find the fascinating angle in every fact
Use storytelling when appropriate
Write like a human, not a corporation

Warning: Don't confuse entertaining with effective.

Ogilvy: "Good copywriters have always resisted the temptation to entertain."

The goal is INTERESTING, not merely entertaining. Everything should drive toward the sale.

The Rule: Be interesting. But interesting that SELLS.

Ogilvy: "You cannot bore people into buying your product; you can only interest them in buying it."

How to Be Interesting:

Know your customer deeply
Find the fascinating angle in every fact
Use storytelling when appropriate
Write like a human, not a corporation

Warning: Don't confuse entertaining with effective.

Ogilvy: "Good copywriters have always resisted the temptation to entertain."

The goal is INTERESTING, not merely entertaining. Everything should drive toward the sale.

Principle 6: UNDERSTAND YOUR CUSTOMER

The Rule: Know who you're talking to. Respect them.

Ogilvy: "The consumer is not a moron. She is your wife. Don't insult her intelligence."

Application:

Write in their language
Address their real concerns
Never condescend
Never use jargon they don't use
Men shouldn't write ads for women's products (without research)

Before Writing, Know:

What keeps them up at night?
What language do they use?
What do they already know?
What would make them feel understood?

The Rule: Know who you're talking to. Respect them.

Ogilvy: "The consumer is not a moron. She is your wife. Don't insult her intelligence."

Application:

Write in their language
Address their real concerns
Never condescend
Never use jargon they don't use
Men shouldn't write ads for women's products (without research)

Before Writing, Know:

What keeps them up at night?
What language do they use?
What do they already know?
What would make them feel understood?

Principle 7: STAY TRUE TO YOUR BRAND

The Rule: Build consistent personality over time.

Ogilvy: "Every advertisement should be thought of as a contribution to the complex symbol which is the brand image."

Warning: "Most manufacturers are reluctant to accept any limitation on the image of their brand. They want it to be all things to all people … They generally end up with a brand which has no personality of any kind, a wishy-washy neuter."

Application:

Define brand personality clearly
Apply it consistently across all touchpoints
Accept limitations—you can't be everything
Build equity over years, not campaigns

Ogilvy on Originality: "Nobody has ever built a brand by imitating somebody else's advertising."

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The Rule: Build consistent personality over time.

Ogilvy: "Every advertisement should be thought of as a contribution to the complex symbol which is the brand image."

Application:

Define brand personality clearly
Apply it consistently across all touchpoints
Accept limitations—you can't be everything
Build equity over years, not campaigns

Ogilvy on Originality: "Nobody has ever built a brand by imitating somebody else's advertising."

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Ogilvy Headline Rules

奥格威标题规则

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Headlines: 80% of Your Ad's Success

Ogilvy: "On the average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy. When you have written your headline, you have spent eighty cents out of your dollar."

The Rules

Include your selling promise Bad: "Introducing the new XR-7" Good: "At 60 mph, the loudest noise in this Rolls-Royce comes from the electric clock"
Appeal to self-interest Bad: "Our award-winning formula" Good: "How to win friends and influence people"
Announce news when possible Bad: "Quality you can trust" Good: "New formula removes stains in half the time"
Avoid blind headlines Bad: "Think different" (needs body copy to make sense) Good: "Do you make these mistakes in English?" (complete idea)
Use specifics over generalities Bad: "Save money on car insurance" Good: "Save $423 on car insurance in 12 minutes"
Never use negatives Bad: "Don't miss this opportunity" Good: "Seize this opportunity today"
Avoid puns and literary allusions Bad: "A tale of two cities... and two prices" Good: "Same product. Half the price."
Include the brand name If people only read the headline, they should know who's talking.

Include your selling promise Bad: "Introducing the new XR-7" Good: "At 60 mph, the loudest noise in this Rolls-Royce comes from the electric clock"
Appeal to self-interest Bad: "Our award-winning formula" Good: "How to win friends and influence people"
Announce news when possible Bad: "Quality you can trust" Good: "New formula removes stains in half the time"
Avoid blind headlines Bad: "Think different" (needs body copy to make sense) Good: "Do you make these mistakes in English?" (complete idea)
Use specifics over generalities Bad: "Save money on car insurance" Good: "Save $423 on car insurance in 12 minutes"
Never use negatives Bad: "Don't miss this opportunity" Good: "Seize this opportunity today"
Avoid puns and literary allusions Bad: "A tale of two cities... and two prices" Good: "Same product. Half the price."
Include the brand name If people only read the headline, they should know who's talking.

Ogilvy Headline Formulas

The How-To: "How to [achieve desired outcome]" "How I [achieved result] in [timeframe]"

The Specific Number: "[Number] ways to [achieve outcome]" "[Specific result] in [specific timeframe]"

The News Angle: "Introducing: [new thing]" "Announcing: [improvement]" "Now you can [do something previously impossible]"

The Question: "Do you [have common problem]?" "What would you do with [benefit]?"

The Command: "[Action verb] your way to [benefit]" "Stop [bad thing]. Start [good thing]."

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The How-To: "How to [achieve desired outcome]" "How I [achieved result] in [timeframe]"

The Specific Number: "[Number] ways to [achieve outcome]" "[Specific result] in [specific timeframe]"

The News Angle: "Introducing: [new thing]" "Announcing: [improvement]" "Now you can [do something previously impossible]"

The Question: "Do you [have common problem]?" "What would you do with [benefit]?"

The Command: "[Action verb] your way to [benefit]" "Stop [bad thing]. Start [good thing]."

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Ogilvy Body Copy Style

奥格威正文文案风格

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Long Copy That Sells

Ogilvy on Copy Length: "All my experience says that for a great many products, long copy sells more than short."

Why Long Copy Works:

Gives facts that build conviction
Answers objections before they arise
Demonstrates expertise
The interested reader wants more

Ogilvy on Copy Length: "All my experience says that for a great many products, long copy sells more than short."

Why Long Copy Works:

Gives facts that build conviction
Answers objections before they arise
Demonstrates expertise
The interested reader wants more

The Ogilvy Style

Conversational but Expert:

Write like talking to a friend
But a friend who's done their research
Use "you" liberally
Avoid corporate-speak

Factual but Fascinating:

Every paragraph should teach something
Numbers, percentages, specifics
But presented in engaging way

Structured for Scanning:

Use subheads generously
First line of each paragraph must compel
Key points should be skimmable

Conversational but Expert:

Write like talking to a friend
But a friend who's done their research
Use "you" liberally
Avoid corporate-speak

Factual but Fascinating:

Every paragraph should teach something
Numbers, percentages, specifics
But presented in engaging way

Structured for Scanning:

Use subheads generously
First line of each paragraph must compel
Key points should be skimmable

Body Copy Template (Ogilvy Style)

[HEADLINE: Specific benefit or news]

[SUBHEAD: Expand on headline]

[OPENING: Hook with surprising fact or question]

[PROBLEM: Acknowledge the reader's situation]

[SOLUTION: Introduce your approach]

[MECHANISM: How it works (with specifics)]

[PROOF: Facts, numbers, testimonials]

[OBJECTION HANDLING: Address concerns]

[OFFER: What they get]

[CTA: Clear next step]

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[HEADLINE: Specific benefit or news]

[SUBHEAD: Expand on headline]

[OPENING: Hook with surprising fact or question]

[PROBLEM: Acknowledge the reader's situation]

[SOLUTION: Introduce your approach]

[MECHANISM: How it works (with specifics)]

[PROOF: Facts, numbers, testimonials]

[OBJECTION HANDLING: Address concerns]

[OFFER: What they get]

[CTA: Clear next step]

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Examples

示例

Example 1: Ogilvy's Famous Rolls-Royce Ad

示例1：奥格威经典劳斯莱斯广告

Headline: "At 60 miles an hour the loudest noise in this new Rolls-Royce comes from the electric clock"

Why It Works (Against the 7 Principles):

Principle	How It's Applied
Facts	Specific claim about noise at specific speed
Truthful	Verifiable, based on real testing
Big Idea	One memorable image that says "quiet = quality"
Not Boring	Unexpected, makes you think
Respects Customer	Assumes intelligence, no hyperbole
Brand True	Consistent with Rolls-Royce prestige

Body Copy Approach: The ad then listed 13 specific facts about the car's engineering. No superlatives—just facts that demonstrated quality.

标题：“时速60英里时，这款新劳斯莱斯车内最响的声音来自电子钟”

符合7项原则的原因:

原则	应用方式
事实	关于特定速度下噪音的具体声明
真实	可验证，基于实际测试
核心创意	一个令人难忘的画面，传递“安静=品质”的理念
不乏味	出乎意料，引人思考
尊重受众	假定受众有智商，无夸张表述
契合品牌	与劳斯莱斯的高端定位一致

正文文案思路: 广告随后列出了13项关于汽车工程的具体事实。没有最高级，只用事实证明品质。

Example 2: Modern Application - SaaS Product

示例2：现代应用 - SaaS产品

Instead of: "The world's best project management tool"

Ogilvy Style: "Teams using Taskflow complete projects 37% faster—here's the one change they made"

Body Copy Opening: "Most project managers spend 4.2 hours per week on status updates. That's 218 hours per year—five and a half work weeks—just tracking who's doing what.

We studied 847 teams to find out what the fastest ones do differently. The answer surprised us..."

[Then: facts, specifics, proof, mechanism, offer]

常规表述：“全球最佳项目管理工具”

奥格威风格：“使用Taskflow的团队完成项目速度提升37%——这是他们做出的一项改变”

正文开头: “大多数项目经理每周要花4.2小时在状态更新上。每年就是218小时——相当于5.5个工作周——只是用来跟踪谁在做什么。

我们研究了847个团队，找出了速度最快的团队的不同之处。答案让我们感到惊讶……”

[后续：事实、细节、证据、原理、优惠]

Example 3: Ogilvy Headline Transformation

示例3：奥格威风格标题改写

Original Headlines → Ogilvy Rewrites:

Before	After
"Revolutionary new software"	"Software that reduced deployment time from 4 hours to 4 minutes"
"Best coffee in town"	"Roasted this morning. Shipped this afternoon. In your cup by tomorrow."
"Quality you can trust"	"47 inspections before it leaves the factory"
"Affordable prices"	"Same ingredients as the $80 cream. $24."
"Customer-focused service"	"We answer the phone in 42 seconds (we've timed it)"

原标题 → 奥格威风格改写:

改写前	改写后
“革命性新软件”	“将部署时间从4小时缩短至4分钟的软件”
“全城最好的咖啡”	“今早烘焙，下午发货，明天即可入口”
“值得信赖的品质”	“出厂前经过47次检测”
“价格实惠”	“与80美元的面霜采用相同成分，售价24美元”
“以客户为中心的服务”	“我们会在42秒内接听电话（我们计时过）”

Checklists & Templates

检查表与模板

Ogilvy Copy Review Checklist

奥格威文案审核检查表

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Before Publishing, Ask:

发布前，请自问：

Facts

事实

Does the copy contain specific, verifiable facts?
Are claims backed by numbers or evidence?
Would my claims survive scrutiny?

文案包含具体、可验证的事实吗？
声明有数据或证据支持吗？
我的声明能经得起推敲吗？

Truth

真实性

Is every statement truthful?
Have I avoided unprovable superlatives?
Would I show this to my family?

每一项表述都是真实的吗？
我是否避免了无法证明的最高级词汇？
我愿意把这个文案给家人看吗？

Helpfulness

实用性

Does the reader learn something useful?
Is there value even if they don't buy?

读者能从中学到有用的东西吗？
即使读者不购买，文案也有价值吗？

Big Idea

核心创意

Is there one clear, memorable concept?
Can I explain it in one sentence?
Does everything support this one idea?

有一个清晰、令人难忘的核心概念吗？
我能用一句话解释清楚吗？
所有内容都围绕这个核心概念吗？

Interest

趣味性

Would I read this if I saw it?
Is there anything boring that should be cut?
Is it interesting in a way that sells (not just entertains)?

如果我看到这个文案，会愿意读下去吗？
有没有需要删除的乏味内容？
文案的趣味性是为了促进销售，而非单纯娱乐吗？

Customer Understanding

受众理解

Am I speaking their language?
Am I respecting their intelligence?
Do I understand what they actually want?

我在用受众的语言沟通吗？
我尊重受众的智商吗？
我理解受众真正的需求吗？

Brand Consistency

品牌一致性

Does this sound like our brand?
Is it consistent with other communications?
Are we adding to brand equity or depleting it?

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文案听起来符合我们的品牌调性吗？
与其他品牌传播内容一致吗？
文案是在积累还是消耗品牌资产？

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Headline Evaluation Scorecard

标题评估计分卡

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Rate Each Headline 1-5

为每个标题打分（1-5分）

Criteria	Score
Contains specific benefit	/5
Appeals to self-interest	/5
Avoids empty adjectives	/5
Understandable without body copy	/5
Includes news/specificity	/5
Brand name included	/5
No puns or cleverness	/5
TOTAL	/35

30+: Strong Ogilvy-style headline 20-29: Needs work on specifics <20: Start over with facts first

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评估标准	得分
包含具体利益点	/5
迎合受众自身利益	/5
避免空洞形容词	/5
无需正文即可理解	/5
包含新闻点/具体信息	/5
包含品牌名称	/5
无双关语或刻意炫技	/5
总分	/35

30+分：优秀的奥格威风格标题 20-29分：需优化具体内容 <20分：从事实入手重新撰写

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Ogilvy Words to Use vs. Avoid

奥格威推荐与避免使用的词汇

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