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  • 15-JUL-2024 | Ogilvy’s “The man in the Hathaway shirt” Ad

15-JUL-2024 | Ogilvy’s “The man in the Hathaway shirt” Ad

Author

Dan Bogachek
July 15, 2024

Ogilvy’s “The man in the Hathaway shirt” Ad

Today’s copywork sesh is longer.
Dedicate 10–20 minutes. You won’t regret it.

The man in the Hathaway shirt

At long last American men are beginning to realize that it is ridiculous to buy good suits and then spoil the whole effect by wearing a cheap, mass-produced shirt. Hence the growing popularity of Hathaway shirts, which are in a class by themselves.

To begin with, Hathaway shirts wear infinitely longer — a matter of years. To go with, they make you look younger and more distinguished, because of the way Hathaway cut collars — low-sloping and ‘customized’. The whole shirt is cut more generously, and is therefore more comfortable. The tails are longer, and stay in your trousers. The buttons are made of mother-of-pearl — very big and masculine. Even the stitching has an antebellum elegance about it.

Above all, Hathaway make their shirts of very remarkable fabrics, imported from the four corners of the earth — Viyella and Aertex from England, woolen taffeta from Auchterarder in Scotland, Sea Island cotton from the British West Indies, hand-woven silk from India, broad-cloth from Manchester, linen batiste from Paris. You will get a great deal of quiet satisfaction out of wearing shirts which are in such impeccable taste.

Hathaway shirts are made by a small company of dedicated craftsmen in the little town of Waterville, Maine. They have been at it, man and boy, for one hundred and fourteen years.

If you want the name of the nearest store where you can buy a Hathaway shirt, send a card to C.F. Hathaway, Waterville, Maine.

This is the Ogilvy ad that turned Hathaway, a small shirt company from Maine, into a national hit. It’s the stuff of copywriting legend.

The breakdown:

  1. Hook — identity and mystery. “Who’s that guy? He looks dapper, how come?”

  2. Social proof — “Americans” (used as a set) and “growing popularity.”

  3. Features exist to create benefits — not to stand on their own.

  4. Appeal to status, wealth & uniqueness (scarcity) — a world tour of fabric.

  5. Ethos — track record.

  6. Call to action.

You glance at your watch.

It’s 6:28. You’ve been at it since 3.
Crap. Your hot date is at 7. Running late. Sink shower it is.
Nowhere close to done editing…

“…at least all the ideas are laid out, so there’s that. Did I miss anything? I don’t think so? Ok, but how do I make it flow? I need to get the final draft to Stacey for design asap, team cutoff is at noon Thursday…”

You’ve spent dinner completely distracted. Your date just took off. You go home exhausted, plod to your desk, and crack open the laptop.

Or… it could go like this:

5:41 — you’re out of the shower and lip-syncing.
6:17 — dressed to the nines and zenned out.
7:03 — the sunset glints off your aviators as you smile hello.
8:36 — it actually feels like you’re hitting it off. Not just hot, funny to boot.
Next morning, 10:27 — polished draft ready in your inbox.
10:31 — Stacey messages back, “thanks, looks good!”

The difference?

You had Copygloss handle it yesterday afternoon.

For help with editing, email Dan:
[email protected].