Dead Presidents Take Precedence The Philosopher Confucius once stated that if you choose a profession you love, you would never have to work a day in your life. However, if you love money as much as David Ogilvy, consider becoming an advertising man. In Confessions of an Advertising Man, Ogilvy attempts to hide the cutthroat culture, greed and selfishness deeply ingrained in the advertisement industry. He romanticizes the world of business as he hides his personal avarice. Behind Ogilvy’s friendly, relatable, and sometimes comical façade, prevails a man who quietly and sinisterly focuses only on monetary gain. Ogilvy takes advantage of his audience of susceptible and confused young adults by utilizing a concoction of repetition,
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He does this to better connect with his audience, who are most likely still working under a manager and struggling economically. In chapter one, Ogilvy explains when he was working for M. Pitard as a chef in the Hotel Majestic to show that he too was under a symbol of authority, he wants to paint himself as the underdog who rose above with the corporate ladder. After describing his experience in a colloquial, friendly and genuine manner he criticizes how little the chefs made compared to head chef Pitard: “We cooks were badly paid” (33). However, shortly after, he agrees with Pitard’s greed stating that he too “share(s) M. Pitard’s passion for profit” (33). Ogilvy wants to seem like he appreciates hard working people but then states that: “people do not like to be seen consuming products which their friends regard as Second-Class” (140). In this example, Ogilvy states his own pretentious opinion on looking economically inferior by making it sound like a universal truth . He truly cares more about money and status rather than dedication and hard work, Ogilvy subconsciously thinks about money and social expectations all the time while valuing it’s importance above experience and learning. This proves that he is more focused on money, looks and a well- paying job rather than hard work. His stories of labor are forged for the reader to sympathize with
He does this to better connect with his audience, who are most likely still working under a manager and struggling economically. In chapter one, Ogilvy explains when he was working for M. Pitard as a chef in the Hotel Majestic to show that he too was under a symbol of authority, he wants to paint himself as the underdog who rose above with the corporate ladder. After describing his experience in a colloquial, friendly and genuine manner he criticizes how little the chefs made compared to head chef Pitard: “We cooks were badly paid” (33). However, shortly after, he agrees with Pitard’s greed stating that he too “share(s) M. Pitard’s passion for profit” (33). Ogilvy wants to seem like he appreciates hard working people but then states that: “people do not like to be seen consuming products which their friends regard as Second-Class” (140). In this example, Ogilvy states his own pretentious opinion on looking economically inferior by making it sound like a universal truth . He truly cares more about money and status rather than dedication and hard work, Ogilvy subconsciously thinks about money and social expectations all the time while valuing it’s importance above experience and learning. This proves that he is more focused on money, looks and a well- paying job rather than hard work. His stories of labor are forged for the reader to sympathize with