This is the 1st advertisement Ogilvy wrote as the head of his own agency. Here's an excerpt about this ad from the book, The King of Madison Avenue: "Ogilvy the...View More
research director was taking the train home to Connecticut one evening in 1950 when an idea for Guinness popped into his head. He got off at the next stop and called his office: “You won’t believe this, I’ve had an idea.” (He said his family was equally astounded with this first evidence that he could be creative.) The idea was to borrow interest for Guinness from the fascinating foods you drink it with. Immersing himself in a Yale biologist’s book on shellfish, Ogilvy conceived “The Guinness Guide to Oysters,” a guide to nine varieties of oysters. The text was by copywriter Peter Geer; the concept was pure Ogilvy. An instant success, the oyster guide was followed by guides to game birds, cheeses, and other foods that go well with Guinness.
