“Advertising is about one thing: happiness,” says a character in “Mad Men.” Advertisers themselves seem very, very happy that the AMC show is a hit and went to great lengths to link their brands to the show’s third season premiere.
And what’s not to love? The show, set in the early ‘60s, features sophisticated retro styles that retailers can tap into, as Banana Republic did with a “Casting Call” promotion. Prize: a walk-on part in the show. The promotion drew such response that AMC’s servers went down just at deadline.
“Mad Men” audiences also tend to be active online, giving marketers extra touch points. Before the mid-August premiere, AMC rolled out a create-your-own MM avatar (“fueled by” Eight O’Clock Coffee) that got 485,000 downloads, as well as a Facebook quiz, “Which Mad Man Are You?” Eight O’Clock itself is offering e-card show reminders featuring stills from the episodes.
But a lot of the online momentum is being provided by the fans themselves. Last year AMC reversed itself on a grassroots effort that had people twittering as their favorite “Mad Men” characters, first asking Twitter to take down the accounts for copyright infringement but then, 24 hours later, opting to embrace the user-generated love instead. This year AMC is touting the “twittertainment” on its blog.
Pre-season activity went live in New York, the show’s primary setting, with buzz-building events from Kennedy-era windows at Bloomingdale’s in June to huge projections onto the Museum of Arts and Design in Columbus Circle of ‘60s ads for Popsicle and Belle Jolie cosmetics. The New York Mets handed out Don Draper fedoras in a special “Mad Men” seating section at their Aug. 14th game. It all culminated in a live outdoor screening of the premiere episode in Times Square, with cast members in attendance and the audience encouraged to dress in period garb.
PRIDE OF PLACE: REAL BRANDS GIVE A REAL FEEL
The credibility of “Mad Men” comes from its use of real brands in scripts, some bygone (Patio Cola, Admiral TVs) but many still thriving (Bergdorf Goodman, London Fog, Utz Potato Chips and lots more). The agency setting allows for “organic” product integration, and many brands want to be there. How many are paid placements? AMC president and GM Charles Collier told the press viewers “shouldn’t know which ones are paid.” Smirnoff Vodka reportedly provided a vintage ‘60s bottle just for a mention on the show. Presumably, John Deere didn’t pay to get played on a recent episode in which a lawn tractor severed a foot. Talk about losing control of a brand.
— Brian Quinton
Network
