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David Ogilvy was wrong

David Ogilvy was wrong

Brandon Storey
December 27, 2025

Rules suck.

Ogilvy said it himself.

Right on the cover of his infamous copywriting book:

And yet…

It’s something that’s never made sense to me when I look at his book.

It sounds rebellious.

It sounds “cool.”

His book is amazing.

But Ogilvy’s book cover is dead wrong: Copywriting is, in fact, ALL about rules!

When people ask me whether I think copywriting is more of an art or a science…

I answer a science.

There is a secret underlying formula beneath the bedrock of every great piece of copy.

Specific psychological frameworks…

And patterns…

That if used in the right way… the right combination…

Will cause innocent bystanders to stop what they’re doing.

Rip their credit cards out of their wallets.

And click “buy.”

If you follow these copywriting rules, laws, or frameworks…

You’ll become a very wealthy person.

And if you ignore them, you’ll struggle to get by in this world.

For example, every piece of copy requires first capturing attention.

This is a rule.

It doesn’t matter if 99% of the words you write are the most perusuasive thing anyone has ever written.

If the first 1% of your copy fails to capture the reader’s attention, you’re out.

They’re gone.

And your copy won’t convert.

This is a rule of copywriting. And it’s why David Ogilvy said that when you’ve written the headline, you’ve spent 80 cents of your advertising dollar.

His book cover shouldn’t say “I hate rules.”

It should say “I love rules.”

AIDA is real.

AIDA works.

What is AIDA?

AIDA is the most universal copywriting framework, coined by the GOAT, Gary Halbert (who sold $1 billion with his words)

Attention: First you need to capture attention to get people to read your copy.

Interest: Then you need to build intrigue by sharing interested facts, stories, statistics.

Desire: Next you need to create desire (or simply ignite desire that is dormant).

Action: Finally, you need to tell someone what to do next.

It’s not complicated.

But you can’t ignore it in your copy.

All of the greatest pieces of copy of all time have followed this framework.

AIDA lesson in real time: Now that I’ve got the “A” and “I” down in this email, let’s move onto the “D” and “A”

If you want to make your first $5,000+ month as a copywriter in the next 6 months guaranteed…

Then keep reading.

Back in 2019, I went from clueless about copywriting to earning $9,000/month in 12 months.

Since then, I’ve gone onto make other business’ millions of dollars with my copy.

In the process, I’ve made $700k in profit.

This wasn’t by mistake.

How did I do it?

By investing in my education. $5,000 in the first year, to be exact.

…All so I could uncover the secret rules of consumer psychology.

The hidden money-printing strategies and tactics that almost force people to buy.

I paid to learn this insider information. And get a shortcut to success.

I didn’t want to waste another 1-3 years figuring it out while I rotted away in my 9 to 5.

2019 was the year I was going to get out.

And I did.

Within one year, I quit my job (and my wife’s), moved halfway around the world, and was making more money than I ever had.

And since then…

I’ve taught over 750 copywriters how to build up their businesses fast, land their first clients as beginners, with many of them making a full-time income in just a few months

The copywriters in the images above had two things in common:

1) They followed a proven path from someone who’s done it before.

2) They put in the work consistently until they won.

If you aren’t doing BOTH of those two prerequisites, you’ll never hit $10,000/month, let alone $5,000.

But… If you’re ready to finally quit that dead end job you’ve been stuck in.

Where you’ve been feeling life passing you by.

And those 3% raises just aren’t cutting it anymore…

Then you might want to apply to my January 1:1 copywriting coaching program…

In my one-on-one mentorship program, you’ll be personally mentored through my 4-phase roadmap to your first $5,000 month, guaranteed

You’ll get my entire roadmap. And you’ll get my hands-on support through weekly 1:1 coaching calls, copywriting feedback, and daily support in the DMs.

All to answer your questions, help you through your biggest roadblocks, and take away any confusion in the process.

If you’re the kind of person who works best in a structured system with accountability, then you might be the right fit for the program.

My 1:1 coaching program is backed by an ironclad 180-day guarantee:

You’ll get your first $5,000 month in 6 months or you get your money back.

No other copywriting program on earth offers this.

Imagine the feeling you’ll have 6 months from now, on June 1, 2026: Dropping off your two weeks notice letter onto your boss’ desk.

…Waving sayonara to those dreadful early morning commutes, long hours, and all the corporate BS that follows.

And saying hello to waking up whenever you want, being able to work from home, or a coffee shop, or in a little Italian cafe in Florence, just because you can.

Imagine the look in your partner’s eyes when you tell them they can quit their job too because you just hit your first $10k month with copywriting.

That’s all possible and more when you take a chance on yourself.

But here’s the thing…

I don’t accept everyone who applies to my one-on-one coaching program.

There are only two spots left for January

If hitting your first $5,000 month guaranteed in 6 months sounds like something you’d be interested in… and you want the help of a copywriter who’s made $700,000 over the past few years…

And has helped over 750 people just like you build their businesses up with confidence too…

Then reply to this email with the word “January” now.

Brandon “make 2026 your year” Storey

P.S. Here’s a little taste of what you can expect when you follow my 4-Phase system: