The Volkswagen Beetle advertising campaign “Think Small” was released in 1959. Its deliberately modest message presented the Beetle’s small size as an advantage at a time when American advertising usually celebrated large cars, powerful engines and abundant chrome.
The campaign was created by Doyle Dane Bernbach, commonly known as DDB. Art director Helmut Krone and copywriter Julian Koenig developed the famous layout, which placed a small black-and-white Beetle against generous white space. The restrained design, plainspoken copy and willingness to acknowledge the car’s unusual appearance helped the advertisement appear unusually honest.
“Think Small” was part of a broader Volkswagen campaign that also included the celebrated “Lemon” advertisement. The work helped establish a distinctive visual style and is widely regarded as a turning point in modern advertising. A 1967 promotional book also used the Think Small title, but that later publication should not be confused with the campaign’s original 1959 introduction.