David Letterman and David Ogilvy (two of my favorite Davids) appeared on Late Night With David Letterman in 1983. The occasion was to promote David Ogilvy’s new book, Ogilvy On Advertising. If you’re a marketing or advertising nut like me, that book is a must read. If you just want to get better at it (and a bunch of other things), just stick around with me and you will be fine.
So Letterman asked Ogilvy about some of the ad campaigns he had worked on. Ogilvy had a long list, obviously. One of them was for Pepperidge Farm bread. And he said that was the only idea he had in a dream. He woke up, wrote it down, and got the advertisement made the next day.
And then he quips, “That’s a great thing. If you can’t have an idea when you’re awake, go to sleep.” Everyone laughed. But it’s true.
Edison is known for his power naps throughout his work day. Churchill swore by his siestas. Salvador Dali used to say his paintings were recreations of dreams perfectly remembered.
And I have a long list of ideas, even entire storylines and scripts, that I “received” in my dreams. Many great creators recommend keeping a pen and notepad next to your bed when you sleep. But we are a digital generation. So I just jot down my ideas on my phone. It’s always there. It’s handy. And I don’t have to get up to turn on the lights for writing or sketching in the middle of the night.
Otherwise, though, I still love taking notes with a pen or pencil on paper.
So yeah, the power of your subconscious mind. If you have a problem that you can’t seem to solve, sleep on it. Literally. You might be surprised by what you get.
Till the next time,
Shakaib Feroz.
P.S. AI is all the rage. And I’m one of the few people who’s telling everyone to calm their ducks down. AI is just a tool. Learn to use it, so it makes your more efficient. But bring your own knowledge and personality. And wisdom. AI doesn’t have all that. And stay updated on what’s going on in the AI world. AI for GCC is great resource for that. Subscribe at the link below.
