How Real is Mad Men?

After watching the season premier of Mad Men last night I wondered if people outside the world of advertising and marketing think “Mad Men” is real. I have been a loyal follower of the show and have never missed an episode. I have to admit after watching the first few episodes back in season one, I could not get over some of the actions I saw portrayed on screen.  Some of the behavior of the characters was a product of the 1950’s and not necessarily the industry as a whole.

“Mad Men” as it pertains to advertising is quite accurate. Don Draper’s team follows a creative process very similar to the one we use as Delucchi Plus. Collaboration between writers, designers, art directors and strategist results in a compelling idea that is then brought to life throughout a variety of mediums. The biggest difference from the show to the present day is the Internet. It wasn’t until 1991 when the World Wide Web went public. Art directors were executing ads via paste-ups and line cameras and not on a computer. But at the end of the day the message and story behind a campaign is just as important as how it looks.  This part of the show is completely accurate and one of the most important in my opinion.

I could go on and on about all the little nuances of the show and whether or not this or that actually happens today. The biggest takeaway from the show is that advertising and marketing is full of very passionate people who want to create great work. The different personalities on “Mad Men” and our own cast of characters makes this industry in which it’s a lot of fun to come to work everyday.

As the show winds down in this seventh season it will be interesting to see if the story line continues to be less about the business and more about the drama between the characters. So walk over to the decanter of scotch on your office credenza, pour yourself a glass and say CHEERS!