# Copywriting classic Human Guide

## What This Is For
Master David Ogilvy's timeless advertising principles from "Confessions of an Advertising Man" (1963). It gives the agent a clearer input/output frame for content production: what context to ask for, what decisions to make, and what usable artifact to return.

Use this as a human-readable version of the Copywriting classic agent skill. It is meant for marketers, operators, founders, and other non-coders who want the workflow without reading agent-specific implementation instructions.

## When To Use This
- Use this when you need a repeatable process for copywriting classic.
- Use this when the task needs judgment, examples, constraints, or a clear output format rather than a one-off prompt.
- Use this when you want to hand an AI assistant enough context to produce a usable marketing artifact.

## When Not To Use This
- Do not use this when you only need a quick factual answer.
- Do not use this when the work depends on private data you cannot share with the assistant.
- Do not use this as a replacement for legal, compliance, financial, or medical review.

## What You Need Before Starting
- The goal or business outcome you want.
- The audience, customer segment, or market context.
- Any source material the assistant should respect, such as notes, briefs, examples, URLs, or brand guidance.
- Constraints such as tone, length, channel, deadline, region, or approval requirements.
- A clear definition of what a good final answer should look like.

## Step-By-Step Workflow
1. State the job clearly: "Use the Copywriting classic guide to help me with..."
2. Add context: audience, goal, offer, channel, source material, and constraints.
3. Ask the assistant to identify missing inputs before producing the final output.
4. Have the assistant follow the skill-specific guidance below.
5. Review the result against the final checklist and ask for revisions where needed.

## Skill-Specific Guidance
- Writing advertising copy (print, digital, video)
- Crafting headlines that stop the scroll
- Creating long-form sales copy
- Reviewing and improving existing marketing copy
- Building brand campaigns that sell AND build equity
- Training copywriters on fundamentals
- "The consumer is not a moron. She is your wife. Don't insult her intelligence."
- "People don't buy the best products; they buy the products they can understand the fastest."
- "Tell the truth, but make the truth fascinating."
- **Applies the 7 Ogilvy Principles** - Systematic approach to copy excellence
- **Writes Ogilvy-style headlines** - Specific, factual, benefit-driven
- **Crafts long-form copy** - Ogilvy's style of informative, respectful selling

## Decision Points And Nuance
The original skill emphasizes: When to Use This Skill, Methodology Foundation, What Claude Does vs What You Decide, What This Skill Does, How to Use, Write Headlines Ogilvy-Style, Apply the 7 Principles, Create Long-Form Copy, Develop Brand Voice, Instructions.

Use these questions to steer the work:
- What is the intended audience or buyer?
- What source material must be preserved?
- What should the assistant optimize for: clarity, persuasion, accuracy, speed, creativity, or conversion?
- What examples represent the desired quality bar?
- What should the assistant avoid?

## Common Mistakes
- "The consumer is not a moron. She is your wife. Don't insult her intelligence."
- "People don't buy the best products; they buy the products they can understand the fastest."
- Don't be vague—be specific
- Don't assume "boring" facts aren't interesting
- **The Rule**: Never lie. Ever.
- **Ogilvy**: "Never write an advertisement which you wouldn't want your own family to read. You wouldn't tell lies to your own wife. Don't tell them to mine."
- Avoid superlatives you can't prove
- Never exaggerate results

## Copy-And-Paste Prompt
```text
Use the Copywriting classic human guide.

My goal:
[Describe the business outcome]

Audience:
[Describe who this is for]

Context and source material:
[Paste notes, examples, links, or existing copy]

Constraints:
[Tone, length, channel, timeline, must-include items, must-avoid items]

Before producing the final output, ask me for any missing information that would materially improve the result.
```

## Final Checklist
- [ ] The output matches the original goal.
- [ ] The audience and context are reflected in the answer.
- [ ] Important constraints and source material were preserved.
- [ ] The assistant made the relevant decisions explicit.
- [ ] The final artifact is ready to use, review, or hand to the next person.

## Source
This guide was generated from the guia-matthieu/clawfu-skills skill entry for `copywriting-classic`.

## Source Skill Notes
These notes preserve the nuance from the original skill. Use them as supporting reference when the workflow above feels too generic.

# Ogilvy Copywriting Principles

> Master David Ogilvy's timeless advertising principles from "Confessions of an Advertising Man" (1963). The Father of Advertising's rules for copy that sells.

## When to Use This Skill

- Writing advertising copy (print, digital, video)
- Crafting headlines that stop the scroll
- Creating long-form sales copy
- Reviewing and improving existing marketing copy
- Building brand campaigns that sell AND build equity
- Training copywriters on fundamentals

## Methodology Foundation

**Source**: David Ogilvy - "Confessions of an Advertising Man" (1963) + "Ogilvy on Advertising" (1983)

**Core Principles**:
- "The consumer is not a moron. She is your wife. Don't insult her intelligence."
- "People don't buy the best products; they buy the products they can understand the fastest."
- "Tell the truth, but make the truth fascinating."

**Ogilvy's Philosophy**: Advertising must sell. Brand-building and direct response are not mutually exclusive. Great advertising gives facts, respects the reader, and creates personality—all while driving measurable results.


## What Claude Does vs What You Decide

| Claude Does | You Decide |
|-------------|------------|
| Structures production workflow | Final creative direction |
| Suggests technical approaches | Equipment and tool choices |
| Creates templates and checklists | Quality standards |
| Identifies best practices | Brand/voice decisions |
| Generates script outlines | Final script approval |

## What This Skill Does

1. **Applies the 7 Ogilvy Principles** - Systematic approach to copy excellence
2. **Writes Ogilvy-style headlines** - Specific, factual, benefit-driven
3. **Crafts long-form copy** - Ogilvy's style of informative, respectful selling
4. **Reviews copy against Ogilvy standards** - Identifies weaknesses
5. **Builds brand personality** - Consistent voice that sells

## How to Use

### Write Headlines Ogilvy-Style
```
Write 10 Ogilvy-style headlines for:
Product: [description]
Key fact/claim: [specific proof point]
```

### Apply the 7 Principles
```
Review this copy against Ogilvy's 7 principles:
[paste copy]
```

### Create Long-Form Copy
```
Write Ogilvy-style body copy for:
Product: [description]
Key facts: [list of facts]
Audience: [who]
```

### Develop Brand Voice
```
Define brand voice using Ogilvy's personality framework for:
Brand: [description]
Values: [list]
Audience: [who]
```

## Instructions

When applying Ogilvy's methods, follow these 7 core principles:

### The 7 Ogilvy Principles