Rory Sutherland: Life lessons from an ad man

In this hugely entertaining presentation to the TED conference, Rory Sutherland ponders the subject of intangible value, and how it can be created by advertising. He muses on how Frederick the Great persuaded the German people to eat potatoes by pretending to guard them; why smiley faces can be more influential in speed enforcement than financial penalties; and describes how a campaign for Shreddies, which is square shaped, launched a new diamond variant by tipping each piece of cereal on its corner. He ends with a quote, “Poetry is when you make new things familiar and familiar things new,” remarking that this could be a definition of advertising.

From unlikely beginnings as a classics teacher to his current job as Vice Chairman of Ogilvy Group, Rory Sutherland has created his own brand of the Cinderella story. He joined Ogilvy & Mather’s planning department in 1988, and became a junior copywriter, working on Microsoft’s account in its pre-Windows days. An early fan of the Internet, he was among the first in the traditional ad world to see the potential in these relatively unknown technologies.

An immediate understanding of the possibilities of digital technology and the Internet powered Sutherland’s meteoric rise. He continues to provide insight into advertising in the age of the Internet and social media through his blog at Campaign’s Brand Republic site, his column “The Wiki Man” at The Spectator and his busy Twitter account.

“Rory is the original advocate of ‘360-degree branding,’ a persuasive and charismatic speaker and has a tremendous knack for making ideas come to life in an easily digestible way. He has been walking the walk longer than anyone.”

Gary Leih, Ogilvy Group Chairman