Lasting Impressions

It has been said that the advertising industry thrives on awarding itself for excellence. Throughout his career, Bill Bernbach was the recipient of many of the most prestigious awards given to those practicing the art of advertising. Along with David Ogilvy, Leo Burnett and George Gribbin, Bernbach was one of the first inductees to the Copywriters Hall of Fame in 1961. A poll of creative directors at one-hundred advertising agencies voted four of Bernbach's DDB campaigns (Orbach's, Polaroid, El Al and Volkswagen) into the top ten campaigns of the 1950's (Fox, 1997). He is also a member of the distinguished Advertising Hall of Fame.

In addition to accolades in his field, Bernbach's influence was felt outside the advertising world as his counsel was solicited by everyone from presidents to financial leaders to renowned artists. He served on the boards of the Municipal Arts Society of New York, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, National Book Committee and others (Levenson, 1987). For his efforts in bridging the gap between art and science, he was awarded the Partner in Science Award by The Salk Institute.

Bernbach's business acumen has stood the test of time in an industry that sees agencies come and go in rapid succession. DDB's $775,000, off-Madison Avenue business in 1949 evolved into a multi-billion dollar international powerhouse by the mid-1980's, when it merged with Needham Harper Worldwide to create DDB Needham. Throughout his forty year career, Bernbach never stepped away from agency life. He even spoke of returning to work as he suffered from leukemia at age 71. He passed away from the disease in October 1982, survived by his wife, Evelyn and their two sons, John and Paul. His son John followed in his father's footsteps and became the head of DDB's London operations.

Ultimately, Bill Bernbach is remembered as a man who offered hope. He inspired writers and artists who found little commercial success in their passion to enter an industry that would value and reward their creativity. He offered clients an alternative to advertising that spoke down to consumers or appealed only to their rational side. He advanced the cause of minorities in the industry as well as minority businesses he worked for. To all these groups, Bill Bernbach will always be a pioneer in the field of advertising.