Jacob Obendorfer
International Economic Relations
German Area Studies
German Area Studies
David Ogilvy’s seminal creation for the Rolls Royce advertising campaign in the 1959 became the gold standard for the industry. He started the trend of searching for inspiration within the product itself. From that point on the best advertising ideas all came organically. The advertisement targets a specific audience. The potential buyer of a Rolls Royce was by no means middle class. There were likely well educated and not prone to flashy advertising or marketing gimmicks. They would have been very wealthy and more than likely past middle age. These buyers desire simple elegance, quality engineering, and reliability with class. Ogilvy’s add satisfies all those categories.
The product is presented simply and is the clear focus of the advertisement. One simple side view photo is all that is needed to profile the elegance and sophistication of the vehicle. The tag line is what is meant to hook the viewer, “At 60 miles an hour the loudest noise in this new Rolls-Royce comes from the electric clock.” Again, there is no appeal to excitement or escape as with other automobile advertisements. Here the Rolls-Royce is a silent refuge, a place of refinement separated from the vagaries of an ever noisy world.
The lines are simple. The bottom horizon of the photograph contrasts with the smooth and curving lines of the “Silver Cloud.” The lines of the car create a sense of motion even when the car is stationary. It creates the sense that this is the car for the person in constant motion. Someone who drives this car is always on the way for the next meeting, but still wants the time to enjoy simple refinement on the way in this palace on wheels. With countless amenities and handcrafting in every aspect it truly is a palace on wheels.
The Advertisement clearly was effective. It is still commonly cited today as one of the finest examples of organic inspiration in advertising. It created a new trend in advertising that continues today and seriously changed the industry. It was a historic feat by any metrics.
The product is presented simply and is the clear focus of the advertisement. One simple side view photo is all that is needed to profile the elegance and sophistication of the vehicle. The tag line is what is meant to hook the viewer, “At 60 miles an hour the loudest noise in this new Rolls-Royce comes from the electric clock.” Again, there is no appeal to excitement or escape as with other automobile advertisements. Here the Rolls-Royce is a silent refuge, a place of refinement separated from the vagaries of an ever noisy world.
The lines are simple. The bottom horizon of the photograph contrasts with the smooth and curving lines of the “Silver Cloud.” The lines of the car create a sense of motion even when the car is stationary. It creates the sense that this is the car for the person in constant motion. Someone who drives this car is always on the way for the next meeting, but still wants the time to enjoy simple refinement on the way in this palace on wheels. With countless amenities and handcrafting in every aspect it truly is a palace on wheels.
The Advertisement clearly was effective. It is still commonly cited today as one of the finest examples of organic inspiration in advertising. It created a new trend in advertising that continues today and seriously changed the industry. It was a historic feat by any metrics.