Season three of AMC’s Mad Men ended with a bang, break-ups (a marriage and an agency), and the promise of new beginnings. So, while Mad Men fans everywhere are having hiatus withdrawal and anticipating what Don will do next, Mad Men Confidential is a special series that looks at the show from a different perspective... from the inside out.
I’ll be bringing you commentary and discussion about the Mad Men episodes from fellow real Mad Men insiders. Frank talk about what life was like on (and off) Madison Avenue — colorful behind the scenes accounts about how ad campaigns were created, client meetings happened, office politics played out, the three-martini lunches and after hours hijinks that are the fabric of the Mad Men TV series. And, just for fun, some of today’s brash and bold Mad Men and Women will join in for interesting conversation, lively banter, and creative one-upmanship — a provocative “then and now” look at Madison Avenue that’s guaranteed to make sparks fly over the martinis and Merlot!
Who Are These Guys?
Mad Men is an Emmy Award-winning phenomenon that has also succeeded in popularizing the advertising business of the 1960s. Well, I am one of those ad guys lucky enough to have started my advertising career in the Mad Men era and fortunate to be still at it today. In the ‘60’s, Madison Avenue was synonymous with creativity, style, panache, and power and was seen as the trendsetting arbiter of American values. It was considered a glamorous business and an elite occupation populated with A-type egos who either decided to skip medical school, leave after the first year of law school, wanted no part of Hollywood or didn’t like the downtown vibe of Wall Street. So, we took our MBAs and English Literature degrees uptown to Madison Avenue to make our mark at one of New York’s legion of advertising agencies.
Mad Men Roots
My first day on the job was February 15, 1965 at Benton & Bowles (B&B), one of Madison Avenue’s top tier “white shoe” ad agencies. I started in the Media Department working under some legends of the business: Lee Rich, Bern Kanner, and Merrill Grant. Starting pay, $100 per week… $20 more per week than they were paying at McCann or Grey. After a few months I was promoted to be one of those account men you’ve come to know at Sterling Cooper. Rather than Peter Campbell or Ken Cosgrove, my mentors were Roy Bostock and Tom Griffin, smart, savvy guys who set me on the right path and went on to assume leadership roles in the Industry. The Don Drapers who put me through the creative wringer were Whit Hobbs, Joe Bacal, and Sid Lerner, who created some of the classic advertising of the period. The executive suite at B&B was populated with a trio of the classiest Mad Men in the business: Ted Steele, Jack Bowen and Vic Bloede, inspiring role models.
.jpg?t=20130517094513)
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Terry
Hank, an excellent blogpost, as per your usual. It was truly an honor to have had the pleasure of working for you. Your true leadership and the inspiring culture you cultivated is one of the fondest periods of my career. You have left an indelible mark on me and many others.
2 - FFcommunicator
"Who are these guys?" is a headline that's been used to create artificial buzz for as long as I can remember. I wish it meant something. It's all about "smoke and mirrors."
3 - Hank Wasiak
Hey Terry...thanks for reading the article and your comments. We are due for a long overdue get together. You're the best
4 - Hank Wasiak
Hi FF. Thanks for reading the article. Sorry you didn't like the "Who Are These Guys" caption. Thought it worked for this since the article is about getting to know the real men behind the MadMen and, in fact, they were mostly guys. I'll do better next time.
5 - sid lerner
Hank,
Thanks for those B&B memories. Glad we're both stiil enjoying the trade. We'll get it right yet.
6 - Hank Wasiak
Thanks Sid. Practice makes perfect. Looking forward to siting down with you to discuss an episdoed of Mad Men. Back to the Future.
Hank
7 - Jo-Lynne Worley
Great blog Hank. Love your take on it all.
8 - Nick Bishop
Ah Hank - those were the days - the reality is of course many of the challenges way back then are the same challenges now - only the media choices have changed (ballooned). Its always great to read what you think. keep it up !
9 - Hank Wasiak
Thanks Nick. I'm sure I'll be calling on you for some current day Mad Men wisdom for a future article.
10 - Brian
Hank,
Being a huge fan of the show Madmen, I came across your blog here. What a great idea you have here. Bringing us back to the days of those fat expense accounts and the world of self indulgence. It will be great to watch the show then get your memories, as fuzzy as they may be, about the way it really was. Keep them coming.
Brian
11 - Suzanne Mills
Thanks for an interesting and entertaining Blog on your real life Madison Avenue 1960's experience. I am absolutely addicted to Mad Men, and I thoroughtly enjoyed your perspectice on the reality of 1960s Madison Avenue and the accuracy of the show itself. Thank you!
12 - Hank Wasiak
Thanks Suzanne. Glad you like the article. I'm a Big Fan of the show as well. Will be posting a new article on the season finale soon.
Hank
13 - michael piraino
my wife & i missed the first season, so we are just getting up to speed but we love the show. brilliantly written, cast and acted its the highlight of our TV week (how about that JFK episode?). it feels a lot like west wing used to feel. when you see the final credits you want more (right now). as a child/teenager of the 60's its interesting to put context around how my parents might have been.
hank wasiak is a dear friend, fellow golfer & mentor. his insights are always right on target. what a renaissance man? to be able to enjoy the show from within is quite a treat. keep 'em coming hank.
14 - Lexi vonderlieth
I started watching Mad Men out of professional curiosity and was immediately intrigued by the honesty it portrays. Mad Men makes me wish I could be part of that rich and complex world. Thanks to Mr. Wasiak, I am able to see the truth behind the show and open my eyes to this crazy world of advertising that I want to be part of. I appreciate Mr. Wasiak's knowledge, and love that he can speak from personal experience. Great Article.
15 - Hank Wasiak
Thanks Mike. I like that JFK episode as well. Stay tuned. More to come.
Hank
16 - Hank Wasiak
Hey Lexi. Now that you're in the ad biz you will have an even greater appreciation for what happens on the show. Thanks.
Hank
17 - su robotti
Lvoe the blog, tell me more! I started in on the ad sales side (print) in the early 80s. Just in time to watch the three martini lunch die out.
18 - Hank Wasiak
Thanks Su. I can guarantee that some of the real stories are even better than the show. When you started in the '80's the expense accounts were a lot smaller. Hope all is well. Stay tuned.
19 - GINNY
Loved the article. It brought back alot of
memories of the past. Don't ususally watch the show, but you made it sound interesting,so I guess I'll give it a shot.
20 - Hank Wasiak
Thanks Ginny. You are one of the coolest 1960's Brooklyn babes I know.Keep watching.
Hank
21 - Tom Prendergast
I spent my time in the sixties calling on the ad agencies and their clients.One had to learn how to drink copious amounts of alcohol if you wished to develop a strong relationship with those hard drinking people. This served me well when I moved to Detroit where they took the drinking up a notch. Inspite of the hard drinking there was a tremendous amount of hard work going on and some very sound thought being put into the creative, marketing, and media products. Unfortunately, in the end, it is all about product! Detroit did not have it in those days and that old adage "the worst thing that can happen to a bad product is a great ad campaign" proved out.
22 - Charles P.
A lot of businesses during this era had big expense accounts, liquid lunches and great parties, but I guess the Advertising folks took the cake in this regard!
The last MM episode was the best so far.
I do admire those folks who can create something out of nothing!
23 - Hank Wasiak
Tom. Thanks for your comments. Great observations about the Detroit Mad Men. They sure did take the martinis up a notch and great classic example of great advertising making a bad product worse. Look forward to talking to you about this.
24 - Hank Wasiak
Charles. Glad you like the show and thanks for your comments. It was a work hard play hard time and it certainly added fuel to the creative fires. Stay tuned
25 - Jill
Great blog Hank. Watching Mad Men is like visiting with polite versions of former colleagues. I certainly don’t remember my creative team being so calm. Hope the writers represent the impending drug-infested years as well as they have the more alcohol-infused 60’s. I look forward to checking back here to get your point of view.