William Bernbach (1911–82) was an American advertising creative director. One of the founders of the advertising agency Doyle Dane Bernbach (DDB; f.1949,) 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.
Born in the Bronx, New York City, Bernbach earned a bachelor’s degree from New York University (1932.) He started at the bottom of the corporate ladder, working in the mailroom of Schenley Distillers Company, spending his hours creating ads for his employer. He eventually joined the William H. Weintraub ad agency and served for two years in the army during World War II. In 1943, he returned to New York, worked as the director of postwar planning for Coty, Inc, and later became vice president of advertising for Grey Advertising, Inc.
In 1949, Bernbach joined forces with to advertising executive to form Doyle, Dane & Bernbach (DDB.) Bernbach took complete control over the advertising that the agency produced. He evolved as a significant force behind the Creative Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s. His knack for memorable yet straightforward advertising came from his intense love of philosophy and literature. Such success campaigns as “Think Small” for Volkswagen automobiles and “We Try Harder” for Avis car rental company are still cited today.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by William Bernbach
In advertising, not to be different is virtual suicide.
—William Bernbach
Topics: Advertising
If your advertising goes unnoticed, everything else is academic!
—William Bernbach
Topics: Business
The truth isn’t the truth until people believe you, and they can’t believe you if they don’t know what your saying, and they can’t know what you’ve 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 until you say things imaginatively, originally, freshly.
—William Bernbach
Topics: Persuasion
Those who are going to be in business tomorrow are those who understand that the future, as always, belongs to the brave.
—William Bernbach
Properly practiced creativity can make one ad do the work of ten.
—William Bernbach
Topics: Creativity
Advertising is fundamentally persuasion and persuasion happens to be not a science, but an art.
—William Bernbach
Topics: Advertising
All of us who professionally use the mass media are the shapers of society. We can vulgerize that society. We can brutalize it. Or we can help lift it onto a higher level.
—William Bernbach
Topics: Media
Because an appeal makes logical sense is no guarantee that it will work.
—William Bernbach
An idea can turn to dust or magic, depending on the talent that rubs against it.
—William Bernbach
I warn you against believing that advertising is a science.
—William Bernbach
Topics: Advertising
Word of mouth is the best medium of all.
—William Bernbach
Topics: Words
In communications, familiarity breeds apathy.
—William Bernbach
Topics: One liners, Apathy, Communication
Wondering Whom to Read Next?
Rene Dubos French-American Microbiologist, Author
Satchel Paige American Baseball Player
Jimmy Hoffa American Labor Leader
Anna Freud Austrian-British Psychoanalyst
John Cheever American Novelist
Vladimir K. Zworykin American Physicist
Arthur Rubinstein American Pianist
Archibald MacLeish American Poet, Dramatist