ITAP- Lesson 11

Bill Bernbach (1911-1982)

Bernbach created an evolution in the advertising business by being the first company to combine copy writers and art directors together into two-person teams which commonly had been a seperate department in advertising companies. It became a breakthrough, as more imagination re-ignited to the surface. Bernbach broke culture and empathised with the audience.

"He challenged all the big advertising agencies... saying they had killed advertising, ads had become dishonest, broing, insulting and insane"- Quote taken from Mary Wells Lawrence- 'A big Life in Advertising'.

An example of an advertising campaign that was used to sell big cars (shown below). Very male generated as men in those days were seen to be the bread barers. Cleaning products was the only advertising that was made for women.

Bill Bernbach was one of the three founders of DDB (Doyle Dane and Bernbach) in 1949. His thought process and initiative to have art directors and copy writers together had a lasting impact on Ad agencies. His work was characterised by simplicity. The DDB were responsible for the fantastic series of the Volkswagen Beetle adverts (shown below). They used a real life approach instead of the dreamlike way in which other agencies were casting upon the public. At the time of the brief World War II was among them, the Beetle being a German car was a hard task because they were trying to sell the car to New York- New York being a high populated city of Jewish people. Here's what they came up with...
 
These were seen as the most famous of the Volkwagen Beetle campaigns, 'Think Small' became the number one campaign ad of all time in Advertising Agencies 1999 "The Century of Advertising". The Volkswagen beetle was called a 'Lemon' in the other advert. 'Lemon' being a word used in New York to describe someone or something as useless.
Other Volkwagen Beetle Campaigns humour the public showing how reliable they are, explaining that the car doesn't need to be changed because everything is spot on. Another campaign for the car was it being visually illegible in the snow, explaining that the Beetle works in all weathers and that the consumer would own the road.

"Advertising is not a science, it is a pursuasion, and pursuasion is an art, it is institution that leads to discovery, to inspiration, it is the artist who is capable of making the consumer feel desire"- Quote on Bernbach from Mary Wells Lawrence- 'A Big Life in Advertising'.