Forbes: Ogilvy, As A Metaphor For The Trouble On Madison Avenue

By Avi Dan. “However, Ogilvy’s hallmark of creativity since 1962 has been American Express, for which it created such memorable advertising as “Don’t leave home without it” and “Membership has its privileges.” That account was lost to the McGarryBowen agency in 2017, soon after John Seifert was appointed CEO of Ogilvy. When you lose your biggest, most creative account, that usually spells trouble and implications for morale and confidence in all corners of the agency.”

I spent four years in the Ogilvy stick at Neo, only to have GroupM eliminate the St. Louis office, the second such incident inside of a decade. In that time, although we did some fine work in media, Ogilvy was always first and foremost a creative agency. I can’t help but think that the points that Dan makes – and they are largely valid – are the same for all large creative agencies with storied histories that are facing growing challenges in the 21st century advertising field.