William Bernbach
Encyclopedia
William Bernbach (August 13, 1911, New York City
- October 2, 1982, New York City) was an American advertising creative director. He was one of the three founders in 1949 of the international advertising agency
Doyle Dane Bernbach (DDB). He directed many of the firm's breakthrough ad campaigns and had a lasting impact on the creative team structures now commonly used by ad agencies.
, New York City
to Rebecca and Jacob Bernbach. He attended New York City public schools and in 1932 earned a B.A
degree from New York University
. He had majored in English but also studied business administration, philosophy and music, playing the piano .
He left Schenley in 1939 to ghost-write for Grover Whalen
, the head of the 1939 World's Fair
and the following year he entered the advertising industry at the William Weintraub agency. He saw two years' active service in World War II
and thereafter had a role at Coty, followed by a position at Grey Advertising. He commenced there as a Copywriter but was promoted to Creative Director
by 1947.
In 1949 with Ned Doyle
whom he had met at Grey, and Mac Dane
who was already running a tiny agency, Bernbach founded their eponymous ad agency in Manhattan
.
From its founding Bernbach played an integral role in the writing of advertising, distancing himself from the administrative and promotional aspects of the business which were left to Dane. He served as the creative engine behind the agency helping billings to increase from approximately US$1 million to more than US$40 million by the time he retired. DDB grew to become the 11th largest advertising agency in America by 1976, when Bernbach stepped aside as Chief Executive Officer
to became chairman of the executive committee.
Notable campaigns of Bernbach's are, We Try Harder for Avis Car Rental
, Mikey for Life Cereal
, You Don't Have to be Jewish to Love Levy's for Levy's Rye Bread, and It's so simple for Polaroid
.His most notable campaign was for Volkswagen with "Think Small" and "The Bug"
s into two-person teams—they commonly had been in separate departments—a model that still exists in advertising agencies today.
Bernbach won many awards and honors for his work within the advertising industry during his career. He was inducted into the Copywriters Hall of Fame in 1964, received the The Man of the Year of Advertising Award in 1964 and 1965, and The Pulse Inc., Man of the Year Award in 1966. He was also named "Top Advertising Agency Executive" in 1969 and received the American Academy of Achievement Award in 1976 and was inducted into the American Advertising Federation Hall of Fame in same year. He designed the Advertising Hall of Fame "Golden Ladder" trophy.
The AMC
program, Mad Men
, which centers on the fictional ad agency of Sterling Cooper in the early 1960s, makes many references to Bernbach; Bernbach's innovative techniques challenge Sterling Cooper's more orthodox style, and DDB often is mentioned as a competitor in the second season.
. Bernbach's family was against the marriage on religious grounds, but they lived happily and had two sons - John and Paul. After Bill's death, Evelyn and Bob Levenson the DDB creative leader, published "Bill Bernbach's Book: A History of Advertising that Changed the History of Advertising".
wrote extensively of Bernbach.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
- October 2, 1982, New York City) was an American advertising creative director. He was one of the three founders in 1949 of the international advertising agency
Advertising agency
An advertising agency or ad agency is a service business dedicated to creating, planning and handling advertising for its clients. An ad agency is independent from the client and provides an outside point of view to the effort of selling the client's products or services...
Doyle Dane Bernbach (DDB). He directed many of the firm's breakthrough ad campaigns and had a lasting impact on the creative team structures now commonly used by ad agencies.
Early life
Bill Bernbach was born in The BronxThe Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to Rebecca and Jacob Bernbach. He attended New York City public schools and in 1932 earned a B.A
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree from New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
. He had majored in English but also studied business administration, philosophy and music, playing the piano .
Career
After graduation, in 1933 Bernbach took a job running the Schenley Distillers mailroom. This was during the Depression and a family connection got him the job. He pro-actively wrote an ad for Schenley's American Cream Whiskey, which he got into the right hands and the ad ran. He was promoted to the advertising department.He left Schenley in 1939 to ghost-write for Grover Whalen
Grover Whalen
Grover Aloysius Whalen was a prominent politician, businessman, and public relations guru in New York City during the 1930s and 1940s.-Early years:Grover A. Whalen was born on June 2, 1886 in New York City...
, the head of the 1939 World's Fair
1939 New York World's Fair
The 1939–40 New York World's Fair, which covered the of Flushing Meadows-Corona Park , was the second largest American world's fair of all time, exceeded only by St. Louis's Louisiana Purchase Exposition of 1904. Many countries around the world participated in it, and over 44 million people...
and the following year he entered the advertising industry at the William Weintraub agency. He saw two years' active service in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and thereafter had a role at Coty, followed by a position at Grey Advertising. He commenced there as a Copywriter but was promoted to Creative Director
Creative Director
A creative director is a position often found within the graphic design, film, music, fashion, advertising, media or entertainment industries, but may be useful in other creative organizations such as web development and software development firms as well....
by 1947.
In 1949 with Ned Doyle
James Edwin Doyle
James Edwin "Ned" Doyle was an American advertising executive and a co-founder of the Doyle Dane Bernbach agency established in Manhattan in 1949 and known as DDB. This agency, which he founded with Mac Dane and Bill Bernbach, bears the initials of the last name of each...
whom he had met at Grey, and Mac Dane
Maxwell Dane
Maxwell "Mac" Dane was an American advertising executive and co-founder of the Doyle Dane Bernbach agency, known as DDB, that was established in Manhattan in 1949. For advertising against U.S...
who was already running a tiny agency, Bernbach founded their eponymous ad agency in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
.
From its founding Bernbach played an integral role in the writing of advertising, distancing himself from the administrative and promotional aspects of the business which were left to Dane. He served as the creative engine behind the agency helping billings to increase from approximately US$1 million to more than US$40 million by the time he retired. DDB grew to become the 11th largest advertising agency in America by 1976, when Bernbach stepped aside as Chief Executive Officer
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
to became chairman of the executive committee.
Notable campaigns of Bernbach's are, We Try Harder for Avis Car Rental
Avis Rent A Car System
Avis Rent a Car System, LLC is a car rental company headquartered in Parsippany-Troy Hills Township, New Jersey, United States. Avis, Budget Rent a Car and Budget Truck Rental are all units of Avis Budget Group....
, Mikey for Life Cereal
Life (cereal)
Life is a breakfast cereal made of whole grain oats, distributed by the Quaker Oats Company. It was introduced in 1961. The cereal's advertisements currently sport the slogan "Life is full of surprises".- History :...
, You Don't Have to be Jewish to Love Levy's for Levy's Rye Bread, and It's so simple for Polaroid
Polaroid Corporation
Polaroid Corporation is an American-based international consumer electronics and eyewear company, originally founded in 1937 by Edwin H. Land. It is most famous for its instant film cameras, which reached the market in 1948, and continued to be the company's flagship product line until the February...
.His most notable campaign was for Volkswagen with "Think Small" and "The Bug"
Legacy
Bernbach was noted for his devotion to creativity and offbeat themes, a legacy that has credited him as a major force behind the Creative Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s. His work often was characterized by simplicity. He also is credited with being the first to combine copywriters and art directorArt director
The art director is a person who supervise the creative process of a design.The term 'art director' is a blanket title for a variety of similar job functions in advertising, publishing, film and television, the Internet, and video games....
s into two-person teams—they commonly had been in separate departments—a model that still exists in advertising agencies today.
Bernbach won many awards and honors for his work within the advertising industry during his career. He was inducted into the Copywriters Hall of Fame in 1964, received the The Man of the Year of Advertising Award in 1964 and 1965, and The Pulse Inc., Man of the Year Award in 1966. He was also named "Top Advertising Agency Executive" in 1969 and received the American Academy of Achievement Award in 1976 and was inducted into the American Advertising Federation Hall of Fame in same year. He designed the Advertising Hall of Fame "Golden Ladder" trophy.
The AMC
AMC (TV network)
AMC is a cable television specialty channel that primarily airs movies, along with a limited amount of original programming. The letters originally stood for American Movie Classics; however since 2002, the full name has been deemphasized as a result of a major shift in programming...
program, Mad Men
Mad Men
Mad Men is an American dramatic television series created and produced by Matthew Weiner. The series premiered on Sunday evenings on the American cable network AMC and are produced by Lionsgate Television. It premiered on July 19, 2007, and completed its fourth season on October 17, 2010. Each...
, which centers on the fictional ad agency of Sterling Cooper in the early 1960s, makes many references to Bernbach; Bernbach's innovative techniques challenge Sterling Cooper's more orthodox style, and DDB often is mentioned as a competitor in the second season.
Personal life
At the Schenley Distillers mailroom in the 1930s one of Bernbach's assistants was Evelyn Carbone, a college student at Hunter who addressed labels on outgoing mail. While Bernbach worked his way into the advertising department, Evelyn became a receptionist. They fell in love and were married in 1938 by a Justice of the peaceJustice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
. Bernbach's family was against the marriage on religious grounds, but they lived happily and had two sons - John and Paul. After Bill's death, Evelyn and Bob Levenson the DDB creative leader, published "Bill Bernbach's Book: A History of Advertising that Changed the History of Advertising".
A view of the man
In her autobiography A Big Life in Advertising Mary Wells LawrenceMary Wells Lawrence
Mary Wells Lawrence is a retired American advertising executive. She was the founding president of Wells Rich Greene, an advertising agency known for its creativity and innovative work, and the first woman CEO of a company listed on the New York Stock Exchange.In the late 1940s, Mary Wells...
wrote extensively of Bernbach.
Bernbach quotes
- "Logic and over-analysis can immobilize and sterilize an idea. It's like love—the more you analyze it, the faster it disappears."
- "Let us prove to the world that good taste, good art, and good writing can be good selling."
- "All of us who professionally use the mass media are the shapers of society. We can vulgarize that society. We can brutalize it. Or we can help lift it onto a higher level."
- "Nobody counts the number of ads you run; they just remember the impression you make."
- "The truth isn't the truth until people believe you, and they can't believe you if they don't know what you're saying, and they can't know what you're saying if they don't listen to you, and they won't listen to you if you're not interesting, and you won't be interesting unless you say things imaginatively, originally, freshly."
- "Good advertising builds sales. Great advertising builds factories."
- "A principle isn't a principle until it costs you something."
- "Rules are what the artist breaks; the memorable never emerged from a formula."
- "In this very real world, good doesn't drive out evil. Evil doesn't drive out good. But the energetic displaces the passive."
External links
- Biography at American Advertising Foundation's Advertising Hall of Fame
- CONELRAD's definitive history of the Daisy ad
- Ad Age Advertising Century: William Bernbach
- DDB Worldwide
- Art Directors Club biography
- A Conversation with William Bernbach, DDB NEWS, July 1969
- Mr.Bernbach talked for 25 years of DDB, DDB NEWS, JUNE 1974
Further reading
- Levenson, Bob "A History of the Advertising that Change the History of Advertising", (Villard Books, New York) 1987
- Wells Lawrence, MaryMary Wells LawrenceMary Wells Lawrence is a retired American advertising executive. She was the founding president of Wells Rich Greene, an advertising agency known for its creativity and innovative work, and the first woman CEO of a company listed on the New York Stock Exchange.In the late 1940s, Mary Wells...
"A Big Life In Advertising" (Touchstone, New York) 2003 - Willens, Doris, "Nobody's Perfect: Bill Bernbach and the Golden Age of Advertising", (CreateSpace, New York) 2009.