100 years ago on August 13th in New York, Bill Bernbach was born – the man whose ideas and pearls of wisdom are quoted by the advertising industry right through to the present day.

In 1949 in New York, together with his associates Doyle and Dane, Bernbach founded the advertising agency DDB, in which the letter B is still represented by Bernbach. Since that time, he has been considered to be DDB’s ideas leader and inspiration.

Bill Bernbach was an influential man. He transformed advertising from a boring sales pitch into something engaging, entertaining and influential. It was not without reason that AdAge ranked Bernbach among the 20th century’s most influential advertising industry practitioners, and rated the Think small ad he created for Volkswagen as the most influential ad of the century.

Bernbach believed that the secret of creativity lies in content and context – the ability to find the one real truth about a brand, product or service and to present it in a fresh and original way. In his opinion, advertising is the art of persuasion. We are the ones who shape society. And this doesn’t just apply to great advertising; it is also applies to us as people who are trying to make this world a slightly better place.

The brilliant ad man’s ideas have inspired many of us – his quotations can be found in various books, internet and the daily work routine of advertising specialists. In honor of Bill Bernbach’s 100th birthday we have created a special section in our home page to determine Bernbach’s best quote of the century. By voting and pressing the “like” and “tweet” button until August 15th everyone can enter the lottery and win Bill Bernbach’s book of quotes.

At www.ddb.com, you’ll find a video in which global advertising gurus reveal the impact that Bill Bernbach has had on them and the advertising industry as a whole.

Happy birthday, Bill!