Mad Men: “A Day’s Work”

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Apr 242014
 

Tweet In this season’s Mad Men premiere, it is clear that unrest, uncertainty. and uneasiness are simmering at SC&P, and in the lonely lives of Don and Peggy. In “A Day’s Work”, frustrations boil over, old rivalries are stoked and new flash points of controversy ignite. Valentines Day 1969 is far from being a happy celebration of affection and admiration. A bouquet of roses sets off a day of stress and humiliation for Peggy, another unannounced visit to the office by Sally brings Don closer to facing [read more]

Mad Men: “The Crash”

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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 Extra: Did Peggy Channel DDB? Catsup vs Ketchup

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Apr 282013
 

Tweet Article first published as Mad Men: Did Peggy Channel DDB? Catsup vs Ketchup on Blogcritics As we get ready for the next episode of Mad Men I thought it would be fun to share an interesting sidelight to last week’s Heinz drama. SCDP and CGC both were pitching to take the prized Heinz Ketchup account away from their current agency, DDB.  A big risk for Don, a big opportunity for Peggy and the first time they went “head to head” on a major pitch. Don’s big idea was [read more]

Mad Men Episode 4: To Have and To Hold

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Apr 242013
 

Tweet Article first published as Mad Men Episode 4: “To Have and to Hold” on Blogcritics. This Mad Men episode is ripe with conflict, hypocrisy, and risk taking. Racial issues are brought to the fore, agency loyalties are up for grabs, client accounts put at risk, and internal agency strife is amplified by secrets, resentments, and betrayal. All in all, “To Have and To Hold” is a fast moving, enjoyable episode, particularly from an “inside the agency” perspective. A series of events start out with the potential for positive business results [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: Jaguar Bares The Soul Of SCDP And Peggy Bails Out

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Jun 012012
 

Tweet Article first published as Mad Men: Jaguar Bares The Soul Of SCDP and Peggy Bails Out on Blogcritics. Episode 11 of Mad Men delivers intense emotions and bares the souls of the partners. Of all the episodes to date, this one touches more emotional chords than any other. Don’s rollercoaster ride with Peggy takes him from being an inconsiderate, nasty boss to feeling an odd mix of betrayal, loss and affectionate pride in her decision to leave SCDP. Don’s emotional journey with Joan moves from standing by her [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

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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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