Bernstein-Rein
| Private | |
| ISIN | 🆔 |
| Industry | Advertising |
| Founded 📆 | 1964[1] |
| Founder 👔 | |
| Headquarters 🏙️ | Kansas City, Missouri, USA |
Area served 🗺️ | |
Key people | Bob Bernstein, Chairman/CEO Steve Bernstein, President Skip Rein, Vice Chairman |
| Members | |
Number of employees | 225[2] |
| 🌐 Website | www.b-r.com |
| 📇 Address | |
| 📞 telephone | |
Bernstein-Rein (BR) is a marketing and communications firm established in 1964 and located in Kansas City, Missouri. The agency created the Happy Meal for McDonald's in the 1970s. Bernstein-Rein was one of Walmart's advertising agencies from 1974 through early 2007.[3]
Company history[edit]
In 1964, Bob Bernstein and Skip Rein opened Bernstein-Rein. They had $100 in the bank and took out a $2,500 loan.[4]
Bernstein-Rein was retained by McDonald's in 1967.[5] In 1969, the agency created a series of illustrated glasses for McDonald's called the "Happy Cup." In 1977, Bernstein-Rein created the Happy Meal for McDonald's.[6][7] The Happy Meal was tested in four cities before being released nationally in 1979.[8]
In 1974, Bernstein-Rein was hired by Sam Walton to do advertising for Walmart. The agency worked with Walmart through early 2007.[9][10] The agency developed the "Buy American" ad campaign for Walmart in the 1980s, and in the 1990s developed the smiley face frequently used in Walmart's television and in-store marketing.[4] The "Buy American" campaign came under scrutiny after a Dateline NBC episode in December 1992 charged that Walmart "imports a number of its private-label clothes while playing up its ambitious 'Buy America' campaign."[11]
Before losing its Walmart account in early 2007, BR was one of the six largest independent ad agencies in the United States (36th largest overall),[4] with 350 employees and annual billings of more than $550 million.[9] In 2008, after losing accounts with Walmart and USAA, its gross income was $45.1 million.[12]
In the 1990s, Bernstein-Rein developed its own retail business, Beauty Brands, creating a retail approach it described as "InsideOut Retailing".[13] The agency, which had the entire Blockbuster LLC account until early 1994, came up with the slogan "Make It a Blockbuster Night".[4][14][15]
In 2016, Bernstein-Rein hired Lara Wyckoff as its executive creative director.[16][17]
References[edit]
- ↑ "Company Website". Bernstein-rein.com. Retrieved 2010-04-01.
- ↑ Vockrodt, Steve (2010-04-04). "Bernstein-Rein picks up big account in MetLife". Kansas City Business Journal. Retrieved 2013-04-19.
- ↑ Creamer, Matthew (August 14, 2006). "Bernstein Puts Smiley Face on a Life Without Wal-Mart". Ad Age. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Barton, Eric (December 7, 2006). "Life Without Wal-Mart". The Pitch. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
- ↑ Baar, Aaron (August 10, 1998). "Bernstein-Rein, Big Mac Reunited". AdWeek. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
- ↑ Madison Avenue. Madison Avenue Magazine Publishing Corporation. 1986. pp. 52–56. Retrieved 29 September 2016. Search this book on
- ↑ Hawley, Amy (August 18, 2011). "Creator of the Happy Meal says KC makes him happy". KSHB. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
- ↑ "K.C. marketer behind Happy Meals' success". Lawrence Journal-World. Associated Press. August 14, 2004. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Bernstein-Rein loses Wal-Mart account". Kansas City Business Journal. August 8, 2006. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
- ↑ Elliott, Stuart (December 15, 2006). "Why an Agency Said No to Wal-Mart". The New York Times. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
- ↑ "Wal-Mart Takes a Hit: Retailer's 'Buy America' Campaign Shaken by NBC News Program". AdWeek. January 4, 1993. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
- ↑ Vockrodt, Steve (2009-04-05). "Bernstein-Rein lays off staff, warns of more". Kansas City Business Journal. Retrieved 2013-04-19.
- ↑ "Q&A: Steve Bernstein". Adweek.com. 2009-04-15. Retrieved 2010-04-01.
- ↑ Lazarus, George (September 30, 1996). "Shiara Kicks Off 2nd Men's Cologne". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
- ↑ Goll Beatty, Sally (October 2, 1996). "Blockbuster Puts Agencies In a Permanent Shootout". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
- ↑ Collins, Leslie (June 21, 2016). "Bernstein-Rein hires first female executive creative director". Kansas City Business Journal. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
- ↑ Coffee, Patrick (June 17, 2016). "Kansas City's Bernstein-Rein Names Lara Wyckoff as Its New Creative Leader". Ad Week. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
External links[edit]
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