February 8, 2012

Madman or messiah?

My admiration for the “original madman” is undisguised and well-known amongst my colleagues.

Indeed, they like to poke a bit of fun at my hero worship, often pointing out some of the sayings attributed to the great man, even when those one-liners are taken horribly out of context.

Having learned my trade under the Ogilvy brand, there is not much David has said that I haven’t heard before, ad nauseum.

However, when I read this article in The Age this morning, I discovered a wonderful letter written by DO that I hadn’t seen before.

It gives you a brilliant insight into the analytical mind of a man who was decades ahead of his peers, particularly in the area of strategy and research. It also shows you how little he thought of his own ability, leaving others, like me, to sing his praises.