1.5
Bill Bernbach 
transformed 
advertising the world 
over. A copywriter, he 
was a founder of Doyle 
Dane Bernbach, one of 
the great American 
agencies. Before the 
revolution he led in the 
Sixties, advertising was 
loud, raucous, hard sell. 
He made it low-key, 
ironic, endearing. He 
tore up the rule book, 
laying stress on 
creativity, intelligence and originality. He persuaded Avis 
to capitalise on not being the biggest, a most un-American 
concept. "When you're only number 2, you try harder. Or 
else." His Volkswagen campaign is still considered by many 
advertising men to be the best ever. He forsook lush 
settings, beautiful models and hype copy for a black-and-
white picture of an unadorned VW Beetle titled "Think 
Small". Status-conscious Americans loved the 
advertisements - the ugly little vehicle was suddenly chic. 
Bernbach started the art director/copywriter team 
concept, now the norm, and he introduced photography as 
a vital ingredient. A passionate believer in the 
responsibilities of advertising, he refused to let his agency 
take tobacco accounts. He would not even allow the use of 
chess star Bobby Fischer in an ad: "I think it's wrong to 
work with someone so selfish and ill-mannered". His 
genius lay in proving you could have good taste, good art, 
good writing dedicated to good selling