Branding Strategy Insider

The Advertising Genius of Bill Bernbach

“Nobody’s Perfect” is the title of Doris Willens’ new book on Bill Bernbach and the golden age of advertising.

And just to make sure you get the point of the title, the book explores every imperfection she could find in the career of perhaps the most famous person in the history of advertising.

Fair enough. Nobody’s perfect. But I think she failed to stress the essence of Bernbach’s genius which, in my opinion, was his incredible ability to recognize a good idea.

(Willens’ book was particularly interesting since I knew many of the people she writes about. Our agency at the time shared the Uniroyal account with Doyle Dane Bernbach, although we had by far the smaller share.)

In spite of Doris Willens' many negative comments about Bill Bernbach, I think he was a true advertising genius.

One example from Willens’ book: “From Helmut Krone’s wastepaper basket, Bernbach fished wads of crumpled papers and beamed upon spreading open a sheet with the words, “We’re only Number Two. So we try harder.”

(That was the genesis of the Avis campaign, No. 10 on Ad Age’s list of the top 100 advertising campaigns of the 20th century.)

Another example: Future Hall of Fame art director Bill Taubin and copywriter David Reider discovered that Israeli airline El Al made all its flights at night. So they took the idea, “The only fly-by-night airline,” to Bill Bernbach for his approval.

“Are you kidding?” End of meeting.

Ad Industry Icons: Martin Sorrell

Martin Sorrell
WPP Group, London

At Saatchi & Saatchi (1975-1986), Sorrell, "the third brother," designed and carried out Saatchi's legendary agency acquisitions. A Londoner with degrees in economics from Cambridge and Harvard universities, financial whiz Sorrell privately invested in WPP in 1985, a British wire shopping cart maker, and joined it full-time in '86. There he began to acquire "below-the-line" advertising-related companies and in '87 stunned the agency world with his $566 million "hostile" takeover of J. Walter Thompson Co. Sorrell followed this in '89 with another dramatic hostile $825 million buy of Ogilvy & Mather, and today stands atop one of the world's largest marketing service/advertising group with more than 40 companies in 83 nations. He is recognized on Advertising Age's 20th century honor roll of advertising's most influential people.

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Ad Industry Icons: William Bernbach

William Bernbach
(1911-1982)
Doyle Dane Bernbach, New York
"I warn you against believing that advertising is a science." -- Bill Bernbach

After Bill Bernbach's death in October 1982, Harper's told its readers he "probably had a greater impact on American culture than any of the distinguished writers and artists who have appeared in the pages of Harper's during the past 133 years." Twenty-six years later, Bernbach's impact continues undiminished. And today he is recognized as No. 1 on Advertising Age's 20th century honor roll of advertising's most influential people.

Was it only yesterday that a "new" Volkswagen Beetle campaign appeared, one that proudly recalls its Bernbach lineage? Talked to advertising's creative stars lately? Or their mentors? It is still, "Bernbach, Bernbach, Bernbach." His influence is alive and well and ready to help lead the industry through the 21st century.

"Rules are what the artist breaks; the memorable never emerged from a formula." -- Bill Bernbach

As the single most influential creative force in advertising's history, Bernbach served as an inspiring father figure to some of advertising's most brilliant talents. His copywriters and art directors lived for his approval, competed to make his blue eyes sparkle, to produce work that would earn a Bernbachian smile. "What did Bill think?" was the question his Doyle Dane Bernbach people and clients would ask when new work was shown. Bernbach ruled.