Helmut Krone was an advertising art director born on July 16, 1925. He helped to establish a reputable and international creative advertising agency called DDB (Doyle Dane Bernbach). Most well known for timeless corporate images, Krone made a name for himself in a world where advertising and graphic design was heavily statistically based.
In reference to his work with Volkswagen, Krone focused his attention on gaining and maintaining the loyalty of those already interested in the car company, rather than attempting to acquire new audiences. This ad campaign was successful because of its simplicity. No logo was needed to establish the Volkswagen company. No dramatic pop of colour was used to capture attention. The honest and minimalist visual language of the ads in contrast to their competitors was all that was needed to reinforce the brand. In addition, I think the ease of the phrase “Think Small” was a very successful element of the campaign, similar to Nike’s “Just Do It.”
