Don Draper... My Hero!

2010-07-31T06:29:00.000-07:00

Beneath the Surface, Mad Men as Cultural History.

If you missed the end of the July 25th episode of Mad Men, then you missed a subtle, yet tectonic, cultural shift that was happening in American business.

Two story lines converged. In one, the agency is pitching a manufacturer of two piece swim suits (they insist that they are NOT bikini’s), who want to remain true to their “wholesome” roots. In the other, Don is interviewed by the trade paper Ad Age, but the article falls flat because Don plays it straight and sticks to the facts.

At the end of the episode, the Don and the boys are presenting their ideas to the swimsuit people. When the client asks if he can put his feet up on a coffee table, he is encouraged to treat the conference room as “your own living room”.

When the client complains that the agencies offering are too risque, Don points out that the ad reflects the attitude of marketplace, and that the client can choose between “being nice and static or provocative and rich.” In frustration he leaves the room, in total frustration he returns to the conference room and throws the prospective client out of the office. The episode closes with Don doing a second interview, this time with the Wall Street Journal, where we declares himself the heart and soul of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce.

Two Things to Note

In the early ’60’s the market and society were changing, rapidly. Advertising had been a genteel business, people with money selling stuff to other people with money. Thanks to WWII, the GI Bill, TV and the advent of mass media, the marketplace was getting larger and wider. Tastes were changing. More kinds of people had money, and they were looking to spend.

Don obviously “got it” and had no time for a client who was mired in the past and wasting HIS time...time he could be spending on clients who also “got it.” To further illustrate his “got-it-ness,” he starts playing up to the media.

Where the old ad game was to be polite, stay in background and do anything to keep the client happy...the new ad game is to stand out, be provocative and trust that the client will be happy when they see how much money you’ve made them. It was no longer enough to be good at what you do, you had to be a “famous.” Clients wanted to feel that they were working with a star....who could also make them a star.

In many ways Advertising/TV were the Internet of the 60’s...they were and are blamed for tall our social ills. But Adverting is a reflection of society, it can amplify trends, spread information, but if the public isn’t headed in that direction in the first place...well try working on a campaign for a product no one is interested in.

You can say the same about Mad Men. Beneath the retro fashion, handsome cast and intricate story line, they are also playing out the cultural shifts that formed the world we live in today.

The New Old Me

2010-07-25T04:13:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my third incarnation.

I started life as a graphic designer, moved on to the internet and have now taken one step back in order to move two steps forward.

Lately I've noticed that, with the spread of do-it-yourself marketing, social media platforms and third party web sites that make advanced functionality available to anyone (all good things, by the way)... we've also seen a "sameness" creep across the promotional landscape. In this rush to individual expression, everyone seems to be looking pretty much alike.

Great brands were noteworthy because they distinguished themselves: Coke was different from Pepsi, Heineken from Budweiser, Ford from GM.

As a company, we've prided ourselves on our ability to develop creative solutions that were tailored to each clients business needs. We believe you an look good AND make money! There is no such thing as a "Pilla" design template. As with the best restaurants, everything is made from scratch and you won't end up looking like the every other client we've done work for.

Hence the new name... Pilla Creative Marketing. It emphasizes our own individuality and states to the world that we take the creative side of your account seriously.

Stay tuned

Visit our new web site http://www.pillacreativemarketing.com for more info.

the pillapost

Don Draper... My Hero!

The New Old Me