Being in the industry (and having had a father who was a war veteran and a CD at places like Lennon & Newell and Grey back in those days), I can confidently say that Mad Men gets it right.
I remember visiting my father's office as a young kid, remember the comps with several layers of see-through pad paper (even the look of the illustrations are pretty spot-on), the boys club aspect of these places, the competition between DDB and everywhere else, the copywriters who grew beards and goatees and all had novels in their desks (one of our family friends became a popular novelist), and how all the creatives dressed up in suits for work everyday.
A lot has changed.
After many sad attempts of using the advertising industry as simply a backdrop (Melrose Place, Good Company), it's nice to see a show that integrates how the "work" is actually done instead of just showing everyone carrying around storyboards. While it's not the main crux of Mad Men (really, it's another nighttime soap opera), it does lend an air of authenticity.
I remember visiting my father's office as a young kid, remember the comps with several layers of see-through pad paper (even the look of the illustrations are pretty spot-on), the boys club aspect of these places, the competition between DDB and everywhere else, the copywriters who grew beards and goatees and all had novels in their desks (one of our family friends became a popular novelist), and how all the creatives dressed up in suits for work everyday.
A lot has changed.
After many sad attempts of using the advertising industry as simply a backdrop (Melrose Place, Good Company), it's nice to see a show that integrates how the "work" is actually done instead of just showing everyone carrying around storyboards. While it's not the main crux of Mad Men (really, it's another nighttime soap opera), it does lend an air of authenticity.
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