Robert Williams has compiled a nice and valued list of advertising executive David Ogilvy's 20 rules for getting and keeping clients.

6. Only accept a client if you can improve their existing work.
Ogilvy was famous for turning down the New York Times because he "didn't think (he) could produce better advertisements than the brilliant ones they had been running." Don’t think you can create better work than what's already there? Don't take on the client.

[…]

10. Avoid contests in which more than four other agencies are involved.
It's way too easy to waste your time in meetings. Especially when you're on the shopping list of every prospective client. You have other fish to fry — the fish of your current clients. Ideally you wanted to be courted by clients who have no other prospects in mind.

[…]

13. Tell prospects about your weaknesses.
David picked this up from antique dealers. He realized that when a dealer drew your attention to a flaw in the furniture, he almost always gained your trust. If you do this too — before the client notices your flaws on their own, you will also gain their trust. It will make you more credible when you boast about your strong points.

[…]

15. Explicitly tell clients why they should hire you.
The day after a new business a new client meeting, David would send the client a 3-page letter on why they should pick him. Today you can send an equally brief email to help clients make the right decision.

[…]

20. Use what you specialize in to find new clients.
David Ogilvy created ads selling his ad agency. You should dog-food your own service too. So how does your work help clients? Can it help you in the same way? For example, do you help them find customers by creating content? Create content for your agency. Do you do graphic design? Create infographics for potential clients. The trick will be to not just make thing that you like or impress people in your industry, but to make things that impress potential clients.

I own a hardcover copy of Ogilvy's "Ogilvy on Advertising" (1985) that I highly recommend.

Image credit: Ogilvy & Mather

Via @TheDesignTrust.

For St. Patrick's Day 2012, Guinness Brewery made this lovely and cheerful TV spot "Round Up Your Mates", done by London agency Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO. The star of the commercial is the border collie sheepdog Roy, who herds a pack of would-be Guinness drinkers. And the narration, wonderful!

Family man Avit hasn't been clean shaven for 14 years. See his family's reactions when he get rid of the beard, in the short film "My New Face" by Israeli agency BBR Saatchi & Saatchi, for their client Super-Pharm's razor blades.

A couple of years ago an image of a Macgyver Multitool circulated on the Internet. To my great disappointment I found out today that this was indeed just another hoax. I got my hopes up, but it quickly faded away. I must admit, I really wanted to have one of thoose.

The MacGyver Multitool (image via Bit Rebels):

Maybe I may have more luck finding me some new Chuck Norris Action Pants, great for my yoga practice. They did exist after all:

Fiat has together with ad agency Leo Burnett Tailor Made in Sao Paulo, Brazil, come up with an striking campaign against drink and drive called Now You See It, Now You Don’t.

It’s not often that people on bikes are put at the forefront of safety campaigns for motorists, at least not here in the UK.

Over in Brazil though, this simply but clever campaign by Fiat reminds car drivers that cyclists are harder to spot on the road (no matter how many drinks you’ve had).

Via @mrmickeylowe.