“Mad Men” is a marketing phenomenon….yes I know it should be, it really would have no excuse if it wasn’t!
Now into it’s 5th series and still retaining that cool brand image and compelling content that still gets talked about and highlights showcased across the world.
I chaired The Integrated Marketing Communications conference in Jakarta, Indonesia last week and no less than three of the presentations contained some kind of visual or video reference to Mad Men! What a tribute!
There are dozens of Mad Men clips on YoutTube, mostly containing Don Draper scenes, of course, that can be used to demonstrate and highlight so much of what is good and bad about agency-client relationships and the creative process. This one is my favourite....
Brand partnerships have also played their part in accentuating the cool nature of Mad Men.
For the third season, the clothing brand Banana Republic (BR) partnered with Mad Men to create window displays at its U.S. stores,
showing clothing inspired by the fashion of the show. The store also ran a "casting call" competition, in which participants were asked to mail photos of themselves in period fashion for a chance at a walk on part in the show.
The BR website even promotes the fact that you can “dress like a character from Mad Men” for the Season 5 premiere as they unleash a new limited-edition encore of the Banana Republic Mad MenCapsule Collection, available now in-stores and online.
The BR Mad Men Spring Capsule offers fans a fresh twist on '60s era panache, taking its inspiration from country club scenes featured. After they presumably ran out of non suit collections….as Draper is permanently in a suit and doesn’t appear to own more than a couple of those in the show the range of both formal and non-formal wear than BR can remake or be inspired by must be dwindling by now! It looks cool in their windows anyway!
Another clothing promotion from the series' third season includes a "Mad-Men Limited Edition" suit offered by American clothing retailer Brooks Brothers. The suit is designed by the show's costume designer, and is based on an actual style sold by Brooks Brothers in the early 1960s. I am not sure whether that is a good thing or not……
In spring 2010, Mattel released a series of limited-edition collectible Barbie and Ken dolls based on the characters Don and Betty
Draper, Joan Holloway, and Roger Sterling. I am not sure who this was supposed to be appealing to….adults?
If it was kids there would have to be an 18 label on them or at least a great deal explaining from parents on the dolls likelihood to smoked constantly, drink, have heart attacks and have a series of affairs with dolls not even created! (they could just substitute some real Barbie dolls for some of the women that Draper and Sterling have slept with throughout the five series!!!)
The fourth season saw the announcement of a collaboration between Janie Bryant and Californian-based company, Nailtini, to produce a limited-edition line of Mad Men nail polish. The four shades are entitled Bourbon Satin, French 75, Deauville and Stinger and are reported to have been inspired by the fabrics used to make cocktail dresses in the 1960s.
You know what’s missing don’t you? The two most used props in the entire series, certainly the early ones, anyway….cigarettes and alcohol….so where are the Mad Men cigarettes, Mad Man cancer charity/hospital ward/hospice/breathing app