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  • 18-OCT-2025 | Bill Bernbach’s “We regret to inform you” Ad for Ohrbachs

18-OCT-2025 | Bill Bernbach’s “We regret to inform you” Ad for Ohrbachs

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Dan Bogachek
October 18, 2025

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Bill Bernbach’s “We regret to inform you” Ad for Ohrbachs

We regret to inform you your school stuff is ready at Ohrbach’s

Maybe you can’t face it happily. But at least face it. You’ll need slacks. Jeans. A rugby shirt. A coat with leather trim. Maybe even an Italian mohair sweater.

If you’ve got a sister, she’ll need an A-shape coat, something in fake fur, a skimmer, and the ski look for when it’s cold. At Ohrbach’s you’ll find it all, beautifully made, in huge assortments… at prices so low, you can afford what you need from now till school lets out. Come in, get it over with. We may not be able to make you look happy. But with clothes like these, we’ll darn well make you look smart. 🏁

  • The hook: acknowledgement & empathy + planting the end state into your imagination. “School is back… sorry…” + “All your school stuff in one place.”

  • Who cares about complete sentences?

  • Who’s the target for this ad? It’s written exactly for kids. Even the visual is geared so that kids to identify themselves and their feelings in it. That makes the kid Ohrbach’s champion in the eventual sale. The economic buyer? That’s the parent, of course. And as long as they can afford it, parents want to make their kids happy.

  • The structure:
    We have bad news… (consolation) → you do need the stuff (expectation setting) → your sister might need stuff too → you’ll find something you like because we have a big selection (reassurance) → you’ll look good in front of your friends (status).