At a cost of just $25,000 and an ad placement in just two magazines and two newspapers, how did David Ogilvy create such prominent, worldwide recognition and consumer awareness for the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II?

The headline “At 60 miles an hour the loudest noise in this Rolls-Royce comes from the electric clock” was coined by Ogilvy in what was to become the most famous automobile ad of all time.

But why was it such a huge success?

Well before we begin the analysis, it should be noted that Ogilvy wasn’t actually the first person to use this ‘clock comparison’ in the headline of an automobile advert.

In fact, the American vehicle manufacturer, Pierce-Arrows, ran the headline ‘The only sound one can hear in the new Pierce-Arrows is the ticking of the electric clock’ 25 years prior to Ogilvy’s advert.

Some might go as far as to say that Ogilvy stole the headline, or at the very least took inspiration from it. But if that was the case, why did the Pierce-Arrows ad not experience the same success as Ogilvy’s Rolls-Royce version?

First of all, Pierce-Arrows’ headline lacked specificity.

One of the golden rules of copywriting is to adopt the acronym SMART. For those of you that are unfamiliar with this, it means to keep your writing Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. This helps to give the copy more realism.

With Ogilvy’s headline, the reader can quite easily, after reading it, close their eyes and imagine driving the Rolls-Royce at 60 miles an hour in almost complete, blissful silence with the exception of a quiet ticking from the electric clock.

Secondly, Ogilvy chooses his words carefully.

He has an appreciation of the unconscious, emotional connotations that people attach to certain words and he uses this to his advantage.

Replacing the word ‘sound’ with ‘noise’ for instance, is one example of this tactic. Sound is more often than not associated with positive things like music. Noise, on the other hand, has predominantly negative connotations.

Tell people they will be deprived of sound when they drive this car, and they won’t be too keen on the idea. Tell them that they will be sheltered from the unpleasant noises of the road, squeaky brakes, and a raspy exhaust, and they will show a lot more interest.

Thirdly, and finally, Ogilvy’s headline is more believable than Pierce-Arrows’ version.

Again the difference is only subtle, but it has a huge impact on the credibility of the claim that the electric clock is the loudest noise in the car.

Ogilvy cleverly used the words ‘loudest noise’ instead of ‘only noise’. Now, one can find it easy to imagine that, whilst driving, the electric clock is the loudest noise that can be heard against the soothing grumble of the V8 engine.

In the Pierce-Arrows ad however, it is hard to believe that the electric clock is the only sound that can be heard whilst driving.

It’s only one word. But that one word has a huge influence on how the advertisement, and the car being advertised, is perceived.

For help and guidance on maximising the effectiveness of your own ads, get in touch with one of our professional copywriters today on 07528372619 or email gavin@midascopy.com.