Mad Men: AMC Pays Homage To Manhattan’s 1960s, Madison Avenue Advertising, And Men.

Today, New York City is New York City. But in the late ’50s and early ’60s, New York City was Manhattan. The Manhattan of Madison Avenue advertising agencies, from whom we bought elegance in the form of cigarettes and the three Martini lunch. Don Draper, the creative director for Sterling Cooper, a mythical (but think ‘Ogilvy + Mather,’) ad agency in Manhattan’s 1960, is the lead character in AMC TV’s Mad Men.

Mad Men is a work of art. Not an easy accomplishment for a basic cable network’s first stab at producing a dramatic series. It is compelling, well-written, evocative, and spot-on: you get all of the sexual harassment, none of the lawsuits. In fact, the show is steeped in misogyny, anti-semitism, sexism, and - maybe? - homophobia (one might assume); there is a gay character who seems to be waiting in the wings for the right time to be revealed… Remember, it’s 1960. And for those who know the devil is in the details, well, the detailing is extraordinary.

Jon Hamm (the actor who plays Don Draper,) in the first episode, asks a woman why she’s not married. She says she has never felt “in love.” “The reason you haven’t felt it is because it doesn’t exist,” Draper responds. “What you call love was invented by guys like me to sell nylons.”

The show, hip, swanky, seducing, and intoxicating, created by the Emmy Award-winning executive producer and writer of “The Sopranos,” Matthew Weiner, has received incredible reviews from critics and viewers. The problem? Mad Men has experienced difficulty in retaining its early audience. Adam Buckman puts it this way: Mad Men: The best show you’re not watching. And while that sums it up, no one seems to know why. If you’ve missed any of the episodes, remember, they’re available “On Demand,” for free, or on iTunes. And you’ll want to catch up, as Mad Men has been signed for a second season.

Jockohomo calls it his “latest television addiction,” and found this great Gridskipper piece for all of us in love with the Manhattan of the late 50s/early 60s: “The ‘Mad Men’ Guide to New York.”

AMC’s site also has a wonderful bank of clips from the true advertising giants, like George Lois, Martin Puris, and Jerry Della Femina, talking about what the industry was like back in the ’60s. Looking for some more of the real thing? David Ogilvy, the father of advertising, and of Ogilvy + Mather, once said, “The consumer is not a moron. She is your wife.” I’m not quite sure Don Draper would agree (well, maybe,) but here are some more artifacts from Madison Avenue advertising in the 50s and 60s:

• Bill Binzen on working with David Ogilvy.

• David Ogilvy on working with David Ogilvy, including some old advice that AMC might well heed: “I have found that it is easier to double the selling power of a commercial than to double the audience of a programme. This may come as news to the Hollywood hidalgos who produce programmes, and look down their noses at us obscure copywriters who write the commercials.”

• A 1962 Time Magazine article about the top “movers and shakers in advertising”: The Men On The Cover.

You may also be interested in:

“Breaking…” (09.20.07)

TiVo Alert: Mad Men: Matthew Weiner and AMC’s New Series Premieres Tonight. (07.19.07)

Tags: AMC, David Ogilvy, Fall TV Schedule, George Lois, iTunes, Jerry Della Femina, Jon Hamm, Mad Men, Manhattan, Martin Puris, Martini, Men, NYC, Ogilvy Mather, Old New York, Time Magazine, TV, YouTube