One of the most brilliant blackballed by three clients in one year; the experience hurt him so badly that he left the agency business forever. If you… - David Ogilvy

St Augustine had this to say about pressure: ‘To be under pressure is inescapable. Pressure takes place through all the world: war, siege, the worries of state. We all know men who grumble under these pressures, and complain. They are cowards. They lack splendor. But there is another sort of man who is under the same pressure, but does not complain. For it is the friction which polishes him. It is pressure which refines and makes him noble.

All too often the bottoms of advertisements are littered with miscellaneous crap, gadgets, etc. Get rid of them; they contribute to an appearance of untidiness which reduces “impact” and readership.

Down with committees 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. Many commercials and many advertisements look like the minutes of a committee. In my experience, committees can criticize, but they cannot create. ‘Search the parks in all your cities You’ll find no statues of committees’ Agencies