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Do not address your readers as though they were gathered together in a stadium. When people read your copy, they are alone. Pretend you are writing to each of them a letter on behalf of your client.
David Ogilvy
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Write as if addressing each reader individually, rather than a large audience.

David Ogilvy emphasizes the importance of personal connection in writing. He advises writers to consider that each reader experiences their content in solitude, advocating for a tone and style that feels personal and direct, akin to writing a letter rather than addressing a crowd.

Themes

WritingCommunicationAudiencePersonalCopywriting

In practice

Example use cases

In a writing workshop, a facilitator might say, 'Remember, when you write, you're writing to a single person, just like David Ogilvy advised.'

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Experience has taught me that advertisers get the best results when they pay their agency a flat fee. It is unrealistic to expect your agency to be impartial when its vested interest lies wholly in the direction of increasing your commissionable advertising.
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