# We tried to make AI write like David Ogilvy. Here's what broke.

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If you gave an AI model 27 rules from David Ogilvy's books, real customer research, and past ad examples, could it write copy that sounds like him?

We did this. Built a full AI workflow in Claude Code: research agent, brief generator, a writing skill, a critique skill. Then had it recreate Ogilvy's famous Rolls-Royce ad for a 2026 model.

Three things stood out.

Research beats rules. The AI workflow scraped real Reddit posts from Rolls-Royce owners. That single step improved the copy more than all 27 writing rules combined. If you're using AI for copy, feed it real customer language before you feed it style guides.

AI still can't pick a strategic angle. The model wrote nice sentences, but it missed the real emotional tension in the research (owners feeling self-conscious about the car) and leaned instead on generic "efficiency" messaging. That's the part you still have to do yourself.

Watch for "almost right" facts. The AI slightly misquoted product specs pulled straight from a press release. Small distortions, but the kind that erodes trust in fact-heavy copy. Always fact-check AI output against source material line by line.

The full breakdown, including the actual before/after copy and the complete project files on GitHub, is worth a read if you're building AI into your content process.

— Hiten

P.S. The Reddit thread is here.

Crazy Egg, 13337 South St, #269, Cerritos, CA 90703, United States

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