I’m a BIG fan of “Mad Men” on AMC. I think it’s safe to say that for marketing people, it’s a media darling. For me, the seductive appeal of the show lies in the ability to suspend disbelief and think that in that slick era of advertising’s heyday, it was all that easy. I sincerely doubt that coming up with the iconic ad campaigns of that era was as simple as it’s made out to be. But when it comes to marketing the show, I believe it just may be that easy.
Season Two is out on DVD next week and Season Three begins on August 16, so there is some interesting promotional activity and partners surrounding these events. Banana Republic, Clorox, Vanity Fair and Variety are all on board in a campaign that is more comprehensive than the one launched for the show’s premiere.
Banana Republic will feature window displays and contests with prizes including a walk-on part in a future episode. One contest to be advertised in Vanity Fair is for a sweepstakes with a show-inspired New York City weekend getaway. Variety’s website will feature an homage to the ‘60’s, the era in which Mad Men is set, with articles from their archives. Clorox will run a clever spot in which a man’s white shirt features a lipstick-stained collar with the tagline “Getting ad guys out of hot water for generations.”
I love this marketing approach. It heralds the show’s zeitgeist while honoring the longevity of brands. It all seems like those effortless segues from show plotline to show sponsors. Even product placement within new storylines would not have seemed out of place. Not the ubiquitous cigarettes and booze of course, those ad days are over. Maybe a scene with Don Draper enjoying a leisurely weekend breakfast in his Levi’s, knocking back some Minute Maid orange juice (for a change) while putting Smuckers jam on his Thomas’ English muffin. Simple, easy.
