Bob Bernstein

In 1964, Bernstein and Skip Rein opened Bernstein-Rein, a marketing and communications firm located in Kansas City, Missouri. At the time the business was opened, Bernstein had $100 in the bank and took out a $2,500 loan.[1]

Bernstein-Rein was retained by McDonald's in 1967.[2] In 1969, the agency created a series of illustrated glasses for McDonald's called the "Happy Cup." In 1977, Bernstein developed the Happy Meal packaging for McDonald's.[3][4][5] The Happy Meal was tested in four cities before being released nationally in 1979.[6]

In 1974, Bernstein-Rein was hired by Sam Walton to do advertising for Walmart. The agency worked with Walmart through early 2007.[7][8] 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.[1] 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."[9]

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),[1] with 350 employees and annual billings of more than $550 million.[7] In 2008, after losing accounts with Walmart and USAA, its gross income was $45.1 million.[10]

In the 1990s, Bernstein-Rein developed its own retail business, Beauty Brands, creating a retail approach it described as "InsideOut Retailing".[11] The agency, which had the entire Blockbuster LLC account until early 1994, came up with the slogan "Make It a Blockbuster Night".[1][12][13]

May 21, 2003 was declared “Bob Bernstein Day” by the mayor of Kansas City.[14]

He is married to Dr. Phyliss (née Wolkoff) Bernstein, a clinical psychologist. They have three children: Steven Bernstein, Susan Bernstein Luetje, and David Bernstein.[14][15] The Bernsteins are Jewish.[16][17] They are members of Temple B'nai Jehudah in Overland Park, Kansas. The Phyliss and Bob Bernstein Humanitarian Award at Jewish Family Services (JFS) is granted yearly.

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