Ain’t No Party Like a David Ogilvy Party

By Bob Marshall 

As you probably know by now, this year marks David Ogilvy’s 100th birthday, and the marketing world is taking some time to honor the man who literally wrote the book on modern advertising. In addition to asking Ogilvy employees “What Inspires You?” for a video contest, the company is also turning Twitter avatars red in order to create an online mosaic of the birthday boy along with a #DO100 hashtag.

Now, it’s time to feel jealous. A very poetic statement reads, “At sunrise on June 23rd, the longest red carpet ever seen in Cannes will be rolled out along the entire length of the Croissette, leading to the steps of the Grand Auditorium, where a giant billboard stating, ‘On this day, 100 years ago, David was born to inspire,’ will commemorate the centenary. After dark, all the lights along the boulevard will bathe the pavement in red, setting the mood for the agency’s celebration at Le Grand Hotel.”

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It sucks not to be invited, doesn’t it? Ogilvy and Mather Worldwide CCO Tham Khai Meng adds, “We wanted to pay our respects to the great man, but also to celebrate just what made him such a pioneer in this industry and how that can inspire people today. Where better to commemorate his creative legacy than Cannes?” Hopefully they’ll be serving red wine, too.

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