Mad Men: “The Crash”

 Advertising Agencies, Don Draper, Hank Wasiak, Interviews, Mad Men, Real Mad Men, Real Stories  No Responses »
May 222013
 

Tweet Article first published as TV Review: Mad Men – “The Crash” on Blogcritics. “The Crash” takes SCDPCGC on an “energy serum” induced “trip” that is bizarre and largely disconnected from reality. The catalysts for all the bizarre behaviors are the increasingly difficult demands that Chevy is placing on the agency and the death of Frank Gleason. While these are real issues, just about everything else that happens at the agency is surreal and weird. The only people who escaped the insanity are Peggy, Ted and Pete, but it would [read more]

Mad Men: “Man With A Plan”

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May 152013
 

Tweet Article first published as Mad Men: “Man With A Plan” on Blogcritics. “Man With A Plan” picks up on the fast paced action of “For Immediate Release” by bringing the benefits and drawbacks of an agency merger into sharp focus. As I discussed in last week’s article, once the euphoria of winning Chevy and doubling the size of the agency fades, the harsh business realities of dealing with clients, managing egos, defining roles and trimming staff hit hard and fast. This episode is rich with sharp character [read more]

Mad Men: “For Immediate Release”

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May 092013
 

Tweet Article first published as Mad Men: “For Immediate Release” on Blogcritics. Mad Men has reawakened its advertising mojo. The focus of this week’s episode is on the “business” of advertising and how it compels the characters to be who they are. Everything develops brilliantly from that point of view. “For Immediate Release” is a powerful episode with exciting, unexpected, impulsive happenings that set the stage for tantalizingly compelling scenarios for the remainder of Season 6. From an advertising agency perspective this episode has it all. Account resignations and firings, [read more]

Mad Men Episode 5: The Flood

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May 022013
 

Tweet Article first published as Mad Men Episode 6: “The Flood” on Blogcritics. “The Flood” takes Mad Men down a river of shock, sadness, and disillusionment. Dr. King’s assassination in April 1968 is a tragic event that hits the nation hard, and it permeates the entire episode. The assassination touches everyone in different ways and exposes a wide array of feelings and reactions. Everyone’s personal and business worlds are disrupted. A usually upbeat and celebratory advertising awards show gets derailed, but the ceremony goes on despite the tragedy. The next day, business [read more]

The Women Of Mad Men Finish Strong

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Jun 142012
 

Tweet Article first published as The Women Of Mad Men Finish Strong on Blogcritics. The women of Mad Men take center stage in the season five finale. Joan takes charge as head of operations despite Lane’s ever present empty chair and Pete’s distractions and disruptions. Lane’s wife takes Don head on turning his apologies and $50,000 check into yet another painful, guilt ridden reminder of Lane’s suicide. Megan breaks through Don’s defensive and controlling attitudes about her career and convinces Don to secure a role for her in SCDP’s Butler shoe [read more]

Mad Men: Tragedy,Irony And The Pursuit Of Happiness

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Jun 082012
 

Tweet Article first published as Mad Men. Tragedy, Irony And The Pursuit Of Happiness on Blogcritics This week’s Mad Men episode put SCDP on a tragically sad track that will trigger even more conflict and deeper soul searching at the agency. In an earlier post, I commented that Lane could not survive his forgery and embezzlement actions since they are egregious breaches of the confidence and trust that are essential in an agency partnership. Trust is the critical issue, not the money Lane “borrowed.”  In Don’s emphatic and unilateral [read more]

Mad Men. Lane Rolls The Dice.Don Rolls Up His Sleeves

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May 252012
 

Tweet Article first published as Mad Men: Lane Rolls the Dice and Don Rolls Up His Sleeves on Blogcritics. This week’s Mad Men serves up interesting and potentially explosive twists and turns, which are pushing SCDP towards opposing negative and positive poles. In order to save himself from the U.K. tax collector, Lane activates a $50,000 line of credit against anticipated future revenue. He uses this cash influx to paint a rosy financial picture for the partners and fund a bonus pool for the agency from which he can [read more]

Mad Men: Fantasy,Jealousy,Lies,Deception

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May 182012
 

Tweet This week Mad Men was about jealousy, self worth, deception and manipulation. Given all this intrigue the episode is aptlynamed Dark Shadows, a reference to the gothic soap opera television series that ran on ABC from 1966 to 1971. Pete is working on leveraging his head of accounts role at SCDP into a personal PR coup with the New York Times. Encouraged by Bert, Roger decides to do things the old-fashioned way and pitch a new account on the sly. A perfect way to reassert his own worth and keep [read more]

Mad Men: Megan Leaves, Cool Whip Tops It Off

 Advertising, Advertising Agencies, Don Draper, Hank Wasiak, Mad Men, Madison Avenue, Real Stories  6 Responses »
May 102012
 

Tweet Article first published as Mad Men: Megan Leaves, Cool Whip Tops It Off on Blogcritics. This week on Mad Men, Megan discovers her talent and pursues her passion; Peggy stands up to Don (again); music plays its way into the creative department, and Cool Whip tops it all off….especially for me. In 1966 when I moved from Media to the Account Department at Benton & Bowles, my very first assignment was (you guessed it) Cool Whip. There is definitely Mad Men karma at work here. This episode took me on a wonderful [read more]

Mad Men: Ups.Downs.Disappointments

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May 032012
 

Tweet Article first published as Mad Men: Ups, Downs, and Disappointments on Blogcritics Don And Megan Team Up. Award Letdown. This week’s Mad Men episode takes us on a roller coaster ride of emotions and disappointments. The continuing saga of the Heinz account drives much of the business action in this episode. It provides an interesting look into the genesis of the idea that saves the account, the importance of building client relationships, and how a little luck and female bonding can go a long way. The other dynamic that plays [read more]

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