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Think Small

Think Small was an groundbreaking advertising campaign launched in 1959 for the Volkswagen Beetle by the New York-based agency Doyle Dane Bernbach (DDB).^[1] It featured minimalist black-and-white print ads with a small image of the Beetle centered on a vast white page, accompanied by the bold slogan "Think Small" and straightforward copy emphasizing the car's compact size, 50 miles per gallon fuel efficiency, and $1,565 starting price.^[1] Created by art director Helmut Krone and copywriter Julian Koenig under creative director Bill Bernbach, the campaign broke from the era's bombastic automotive ads by embracing honesty, wit, and self-deprecation to appeal to sophisticated American consumers seeking practicality over ostentation.^[1]^[2] The campaign's innovative approach—using stark photography, simple typography, and ironic messaging—targeted the Beetle's unconventional appeal in a market dominated by larger American cars, positioning the German import as a smart, economical choice for urban drivers.^[3] It ran through the early 1970s, contributing significantly to Volkswagen's U.S. success, with over 5 million Beetles sold by 2003, and established DDB as a leader in creative advertising.^[1]^[3] Recognized as one of the most influential ad efforts in history, "Think Small" shifted industry norms toward authenticity and humor, influencing generations of marketers and earning spots in prestigious collections like those of The Henry Ford museum.^[2]^[3]

Historical Context

Volkswagen Beetle's Introduction to the US

The Volkswagen Beetle, originally conceived as the "KdF-Wagen" (Kraft durch Freude-Wagen, or "Strength Through Joy Car"), was designed in the 1930s by engineer Ferdinand Porsche at the behest of Adolf Hitler to create an affordable vehicle for the German masses.^[4] The project's roots lay in Porsche's earlier prototypes, but it gained official Nazi backing in 1934, with the first production-ready models intended for civilian use by the late 1930s; however, World War II diverted the Wolfsburg factory to military production, halting civilian output.^[5] After Germany's defeat, the facility fell under British military control in 1945, where Major Ivan Hirst oversaw its reconstruction from wartime ruins. Series production of the Beetle restarted on December 27, 1945, initially producing just 55 vehicles by year's end, with output gradually increasing as the British occupation authorities recognized the car's potential for postwar economic recovery.^[6] The first two Beetles were imported and sold in the United States in 1949 by Dutch importer Ben Pon, marking the Beetle's initial entry into the world's largest automotive market through independent agents.^[7] Sales remained modest in the early 1950s—reaching only 1,139 units by 1953—but accelerated as production ramped up in Germany, culminating in approximately 278,000 units sold in the US by 1959.^[8] Volkswagen of America was officially established in 1955 to facilitate standardized importation and sales.^[9] This growth positioned the Beetle as a niche import, appealing initially to European immigrants and adventurous buyers seeking alternatives to domestic offerings. The Beetle faced significant hurdles in penetrating the American market during the 1950s. Lingering anti-German sentiment from World War II stigmatized the car as a product of the former Axis power, complicating brand acceptance among consumers still sensitive to its origins.^[10] Its compact size and rear-engine layout starkly contrasted with the era's preference for large, powerful Detroit sedans like the Chevrolet Bel Air or Ford Crestline, which symbolized status and comfort.^[11] Early models also encountered perceptions of unreliability, including noisy operation, low power output, inadequate heating, and vulnerability to rust in humid US climates, further deterring buyers accustomed to more refined American vehicles.^[8] Intense competition from established US automakers, who dominated dealership networks and offered generous financing, added to the challenges, limiting the Beetle to coastal urban areas initially.^[10] Prior to the involvement of Doyle Dane Bernbach in 1959, Volkswagen's early US advertising efforts were handled by smaller agencies and focused on straightforward, factual messaging to build trust. These ads highlighted the Beetle's economic advantages, such as low fuel consumption (around 30 miles per gallon) and affordable pricing starting at about $1,500, positioning it as a practical choice for budget-conscious drivers.^[8]^[12] Print campaigns in magazines like The New Yorker emphasized durability and low maintenance costs, using simple illustrations and bullet-point specs to underscore the air-cooled engine's simplicity and the car's robust construction, without hype or emotional appeals.^[11] This no-nonsense approach aimed to counter skepticism about foreign imports by letting performance data speak for itself, gradually fostering word-of-mouth among early owners.^[10]

Advertising Landscape in the 1950s

The post-World War II economic boom in the United States fueled a surge in consumerism, transforming advertising into a key driver of the era's aspirational culture. With rising incomes and suburban expansion, consumers embraced symbols of prosperity such as large automobiles, household appliances, and luxury goods, which ads portrayed as essential to achieving the American Dream.^[13] Advertisements often emphasized fantasy and emotional fulfillment over practical details, positioning products like oversized cars as emblems of success, family harmony, and social status.^[14] For instance, automotive campaigns from Detroit giants highlighted chrome-laden vehicles as gateways to adventure and prestige, aligning with the era's optimistic yet materialistic ethos.^[15] Dominant advertising practices in the 1950s relied on hard-sell techniques, characterized by verbose copy, vibrant imagery, and dense information to aggressively persuade consumers. Agencies such as J. Walter Thompson pioneered the "reason-why" approach, crafting lengthy print ads that enumerated product benefits in exhaustive detail to build rational and emotional conviction.^[16] These formats featured bold colors, dramatic illustrations, and superlative claims, often prioritizing spectacle over subtlety to capture attention in a competitive media landscape.^[17] The rise of television amplified this style, with ads evolving into short, narrative-driven spots that borrowed from print's aspirational tone but added visual flair, jingles, and celebrity endorsements to foster desire rather than straightforward product truths.^[18] By the mid-1950s, television had permeated nearly every home, influencing print campaigns to adopt more dynamic, story-like structures that reinforced consumerist ideals.^[19] Critics increasingly lambasted 1950s advertising for its manipulative tactics and detachment from everyday realities, arguing that it exploited psychological vulnerabilities to drive unnecessary consumption. Vance Packard's 1957 book The Hidden Persuaders exposed the industry's use of motivational research and depth psychology, including subliminal techniques and subconscious probing, to invade personal privacy and fabricate needs.^[20] Such methods were seen as ethically dubious, turning ads into tools of hidden persuasion that prioritized sales over authenticity.^[21] In the automotive sector, this manifested in Chevrolet's campaigns like "See the USA in Your Chevrolet," which idealized massive sedans as symbols of boundless freedom and success, and Ford's promotions of powerful V8 engines as markers of masculine achievement, often glossing over issues like high fuel costs and urban congestion.^[22] These approaches contrasted sharply with the challenges faced by imported vehicles, which struggled against the dominance of American behemoths.^[23]

Campaign Development

Doyle Dane Bernbach's Involvement

Doyle Dane Bernbach (DDB) was founded on June 1, 1949, by William Bernbach, Ned Doyle, and Maxwell Dane at 350 Madison Avenue in New York City, with an initial staff of 13 employees.^[24] The agency pioneered a philosophy that prioritized creative collaboration between copywriters and art directors, emphasizing innovative, truthful, and emotionally engaging advertising over the sales-driven, formulaic approaches dominant in the 1950s, which often featured dense text and exhaustive product specifications.^[25] In 1959, Volkswagen of America, under the leadership of Carl Hahn, switched its advertising account for the Beetle to DDB after expressing dissatisfaction with the efforts of its prior agency, Fuller Smith & Ross, which had been handling promotions for the VW Microbus with insufficient impact against American competitors' flashy campaigns.^[26] The initial advertising budget allocated to DDB for Volkswagen in the U.S. was $1 million, excluding dealer and distributor spending.^[27] Hahn's briefing to DDB stressed the need for straightforward, attention-grabbing ads that were relevant and conversation-worthy, explicitly seeking to counter the Beetle's perceived shortcomings through honesty rather than exaggeration.^[28] This included addressing American views of the car as small, unconventional, and even ugly, with a humorous, self-deprecating tone to reposition these traits as endearing strengths.^[28] DDB's early research involved account executive Ed Russell engaging with Beetle owners, who frequently justified their purchases by highlighting practical benefits like the car's compact size and rear-engine design, revealing broader American biases against foreign compact cars as unreliable or unappealing compared to larger domestic models.^[28]

Creative Team and Process

The core creative team behind the "Think Small" campaign at Doyle Dane Bernbach (DDB) included art director Helmut Krone, who pioneered the minimalist visual style; copywriter Julian Koenig, who penned the iconic "Think small" tagline; and creative director William Bernbach, who provided strategic oversight and ensured the campaign's unconventional tone.^[29]^[30]^[31] Krone, a second-generation German-American, drew from editorial design influences to emphasize simplicity, while Koenig's witty, straightforward prose complemented the visuals, and Bernbach, as agency co-founder, fostered collaboration by integrating copywriters and art directors in shared creative spaces.^[31]^[32] Following DDB's selection for the Volkswagen account in 1959, the team conducted ideation sessions through 1959 focused on redefining the Beetle's image.^[29] Rather than concealing the car's small size and unconventional appearance—traits that contrasted sharply with the era's oversized American automobiles—the brainstormers embraced these as strengths, rejecting boastful, superlative-driven advertising norms in favor of honest self-deprecation.^[29]^[31] This shift stemmed from Bernbach's philosophy of authenticity, with Krone initially resisting but ultimately aligning on a strategy that highlighted the Beetle's practicality and economy.^[31] Key decisions during these sessions included adopting black-and-white photography for a stark, unadorned realism; employing sans-serif typography, specifically Futura, for its clean modernity; and incorporating vast white space to visually underscore the car's tininess against an expansive layout.^[29]^[31] Krone's layout innovations, such as positioning a diminutive car image amid negative space, directly influenced Koenig's fragmented copy structure, creating a symbiotic visual-verbal dynamic.^[31] The process involved rigorous internal iterations, with Bernbach demanding multiple revisions—Koenig recalled reworking his initial ad five times under close scrutiny—to refine the honest, witty tone.^[32] These reviews validated the approach's departure from exaggeration, ensuring the campaign's core message resonated through simplicity rather than hyperbole.^[31]

The Campaign Itself

Design and Messaging Strategy

The "Think Small" campaign's messaging philosophy centered on a "less is more" approach, embracing the Volkswagen Beetle's modest attributes—such as its small size, limited power, and straightforward design—as inherent virtues rather than shortcomings.^[33] This strategy highlighted practical benefits like superior fuel efficiency, effortless parking in urban settings, and lower maintenance costs, positioning the Beetle as an intelligent, no-frills choice for discerning consumers amid the era's obsession with oversized American automobiles.^[34] By candidly addressing the car's perceived flaws, the campaign fostered authenticity and trust, subverting traditional advertising's tendency to exaggerate product superiority.^[29] Visually, the campaign pioneered a minimalist aesthetic that amplified its ironic tone, featuring the Beetle as a diminutive, off-center element amid vast expanses of white space, devoid of glamorous scenery or embellishments.^[29] This sparse layout, art-directed by Helmut Krone, created stark contrast to underscore the vehicle's compactness while evoking mid-century modern design principles of restraint and clarity.^[33] The self-deprecating visual irony—presenting a tiny car on an overwhelmingly empty canvas—mirrored the messaging's humility, drawing viewers in through simplicity rather than visual overload.^[34] At its core, the tagline "Think Small"—crafted by copywriter Julian Koenig—served as the provocative central hook, challenging audiences to reconsider bigness as the default ideal and inviting reflection on the Beetle's unpretentious appeal.^[29] It evolved alongside supportive sub-copy that reinforced this ethos with dry, factual wit, such as noting the car's fuel efficiency at 32 miles per gallon and oil use of five pints instead of five quarts, thereby blending precision with understated charm to emphasize everyday utility.^[35] Humor was integrated subtly through self-deprecation and irony, humanizing the brand by poking gentle fun at the Beetle's quirks without resorting to bombast or falsehoods.^[28] This witty restraint, influenced by the creative team's ideation at Doyle Dane Bernbach, avoided the hard-sell tactics of contemporaries, instead building rapport by acknowledging limitations—like slower acceleration—in a conversational tone that invited consumers to appreciate the car's honest engineering.^[34]

Key Advertisements and Examples

The flagship "Think Small" advertisement, launched in 1959 by Doyle Dane Bernbach (DDB), appeared as a full-page print spread in major magazines, prominently featuring a small black-and-white photograph of the Volkswagen Beetle isolated against a vast expanse of white space.^[29] The tagline "Think small" was positioned above the image, with body copy below in a straightforward narrative style emphasizing the car's modest advantages, such as its fuel efficiency, low maintenance, and ease of parking.^[36]^[35] This minimalist design, art-directed by Helmut Krone and with copy by Julian Koenig, starkly contrasted the era's bombastic automotive ads by embracing the Beetle's small size as a virtue rather than a drawback.^[29] Other early executions in the campaign built on this honest, humorous tone. The 1960 "Lemon" ad, part of DDB's broader Volkswagen work, showed a close-up of a Beetle with a visible flaw stamped "Lemon" in red ink, accompanied by text revealing that Volkswagen rejects such imperfect vehicles during quality inspections, ensuring customers receive only flawless models.^[37] Published in Life magazine on April 11, 1960, it exemplified the campaign's self-deprecating wit by addressing potential criticisms head-on.^[38] The campaign rolled out primarily through print media in upscale publications such as The New Yorker and the Saturday Evening Post, leveraging black-and-white photography for dramatic contrast and cost efficiency on DDB's limited $600,000 budget.^[27] Later adaptations extended to television spots that maintained the minimalist aesthetic, such as the "Snowplow" commercial, which used simple narration and sparse visuals to reinforce the Beetle's practical appeal in everyday scenarios.^[39]

Reception and Impact

Immediate Effects on Sales and Brand

The "Think Small" campaign, launched in 1959 by Doyle Dane Bernbach, triggered a rapid surge in Volkswagen Beetle sales in the United States. In 1959, U.S. sales reached 88,857 units, increasing to 117,868 in 1960 and climbing to a peak of 399,674 by 1968.^[40] The campaign is credited with significantly boosting these figures by highlighting the Beetle's simplicity and affordability in a market dominated by larger American vehicles.^[41] The advertising effort effectively repositioned the Volkswagen Beetle's brand image from that of a quirky foreign oddity to a practical, smart, and economical alternative for discerning buyers.^[42] By embracing the car's small size, modest performance, and unpretentious design as virtues, the ads fostered a perception of honesty and reliability, leading to heightened interest, increased dealer inquiries, and amplified word-of-mouth recommendations.^[42] In terms of market dynamics, the campaign helped Volkswagen secure 32% of the U.S. import car market by 1960, up from 20% the previous year, positioning the brand as a credible challenger to the dominant "Big Three" American automakers—General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler—amid rising demand for compact imports.^[43] Consumer response was enthusiastic, with the campaign's candid messaging resonating particularly among urban professionals and budget-conscious buyers, who expressed appreciation for its straightforward appeal and began building early brand loyalty through positive discussions and repeat interest.^[41]

Awards and Critical Recognition

The "Think Small" campaign received immediate acclaim from the advertising industry for its candid messaging and minimalist design, which challenged the era's bombastic automotive advertising conventions. Featured prominently in 1960s advertising annuals, it was celebrated for elevating simplicity and honesty in copywriting, influencing a shift toward more creative, consumer-focused approaches. This contemporary praise underscored the campaign's role in redefining brand storytelling during a period dominated by exaggerated claims from American car manufacturers. Key accolades followed soon after its 1959 debut. The campaign was later inducted into the Clio Hall of Fame in 2013 as a landmark in advertising history. Additionally, copywriter Julian Koenig, whose work defined the campaign's iconic headlines like "Think Small" and "Lemon," was inducted into the Copywriters Hall of Fame in 1966 for his contributions to Volkswagen's breakthrough messaging. In a landmark survey, Advertising Age ranked "Think Small" as the number one advertising campaign of the 20th century in 1999, crediting its enduring impact on the industry.^[44] This recognition highlighted how the campaign's success, including a notable boost in Volkswagen Beetle sales from around 55,000 units in 1958 to over 150,000 by the mid-1960s, validated its revolutionary strategy.^[40] Industry analyses have since positioned the campaign as a catalyst for the "creative revolution" spearheaded by Doyle Dane Bernbach, with essays in academic journals emphasizing its departure from formulaic advertising toward witty, idea-driven narratives that prioritized audience intelligence. For instance, scholarly works trace how DDB's approach, exemplified by "Think Small," dismantled hierarchical agency structures and empowered creative teams, reshaping global advertising practices in the ensuing decades.

Legacy

Influence on Modern Advertising

The "Think Small" campaign served as a catalyst for the creative revolution in advertising during the 1960s, inspiring agencies to shift from hard-sell tactics emphasizing exaggeration and aspiration to approaches prioritizing wit, honesty, and minimalism.^[45] This transformation encouraged marketers to embrace product limitations as strengths, as exemplified by the Avis "We Try Harder" campaign in 1963, which similarly leveraged the brand's second-place market position with self-deprecating humor to build consumer rapport.^[45] By challenging the era's dominant norms of flashy, oversized car advertisements, the campaign established a blueprint for contrarian marketing that valued authenticity over bombast.^[42] In design terms, "Think Small" popularized the use of ample white space, sans-serif fonts, and irreverent copy, elements that became hallmarks of modern visual communication. These techniques influenced subsequent automotive branding, such as Mini Cooper's early 2000s campaigns, which highlighted the vehicle's compact size through playful, understated visuals reminiscent of Volkswagen's approach.^[46] Similarly, Apple's advertising from the 1980s onward adopted minimalist layouts with negative space and concise messaging to convey innovation, directly echoing the Beetle ads' emphasis on simplicity to draw attention to core product attributes.^[29] The campaign's principles extended into the digital era, informing 21st-century minimalism in user interfaces and online advertising, where clean designs prioritize clarity and user experience over clutter. For instance, Google's early search engine promotions and interface design reflect this legacy by using sparse elements to enhance accessibility and focus, aligning with the original ad's strategy of letting the product speak through restraint.^[47] In academia, "Think Small" is routinely taught in business schools as a foundational case study in contrarian marketing, illustrating how bold honesty can disrupt markets and foster long-term brand loyalty.^[48]

Publications and Cultural References

The "Think Small" campaign inspired several promotional publications in the 1960s, most notably a 1967 hardcover book titled Think Small, published by Volkswagen of America as a dealer giveaway. This 72-page volume featured humorous essays and cartoons celebrating the Beetle's compact design, with illustrations by renowned cartoonists including Charles Addams, Gahan Wilson, Virgil Partch (Vip), William Steig, and George Price, alongside contributions from writers like Jean Shepherd and H. Allen Smith.^[49] Scholarly and historical analyses of the campaign appear in various advertising memoirs and dedicated studies. In her 2002 autobiography A Big Life in Advertising, Mary Wells Lawrence, who worked at Doyle Dane Bernbach during the campaign's era, reflects on the agency's innovative approach, crediting leaders like William Bernbach for shaping modern creative strategies exemplified by "Think Small." A more focused examination is provided in Dominik Imseng's 2011 book Think Small: The Story of the World's Greatest Ad, which details the campaign's development, creative process, and lasting influence through interviews and archival material.^[50] Documentaries and visual media have revisited the campaign's significance. The 2016 short film Remember Those Great Volkswagen Ads?, directed by Joe Marcantonio, explores the Doyle Dane Bernbach team's work on "Think Small" and its role in redefining automotive advertising, featuring insights from industry veterans.^[51] The campaign has been referenced in popular culture, often alluding to its witty, minimalist style. In the TV series Mad Men, season 1 episodes such as "Marriage of Figaro" (2007) depict advertising executives grappling with a Volkswagen pitch inspired by "Think Small," highlighting its disruptive honesty in a fictionalized 1960s agency setting.^[52] Parodies and homages include a 1972 satirical ad in National Lampoon's Encyclopedia of Humor, which mocked the campaign's self-deprecating tone while acknowledging its cultural impact.^[53] In the 2020s, Volkswagen echoed the tagline's spirit in eco-focused promotions for electric vehicles, such as the 2023 ID. Buzz campaign emphasizing compact, efficient design for sustainable mobility.^[54] In 2025, as part of Volkswagen of America's 70th anniversary celebrations, the campaign was highlighted for its enduring role in the brand's innovative advertising history.^[55]

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