Don Draper, (Jon Hamm) the enigmatic advertising genius from Mad Men, delivered several memorable pitches throughout the series, the most memorable is “The Carousel” which was one of my favorite scenes to score in the series. Here are a few of his notable presentations.
Belle Jolie – Lipstick
Mark your man
Brainstorming, is what they called it!
During this infamous scene, Peggy impresses Freddy with her line “basket of kisses”, and her take on not wanting to be one of a hundred colors in a box. Peggy’s line and her perspective become the campaign’s nucleus, marking the first time others from Sterling Cooper recognized her potential beyond her role as Don Draper’s secretary. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves…
The copywriters asked her to create copy for the Belle Jolie ad campaign with Freddy Rumsen presenting it to the client. He had been at Sterling Cooper since Roger Sterling’s father was in charge, making him a veteran in advertising. His pitch, “Mark Your Man,” did not impress the client, so Don Draper (Jon Hamm) intervened and re-presented that idea much more convincingly than Freddy.
“Every woman wants choices, but in the end, none wants to be one of a hundred in a box. She’s unique. She makes the choices and she’s chosen him. She wants to tell the world he’s mine. He belongs to me, not you. She marks her man with her lips. He’s her possession. You’ve given the gift of total ownership.”
Hershey’s Chocolate
It said “sweet” on the package
In the season 6 finale, Don meets with Hersheys for a business discussion. However, Cutler, Roger Sterling, and the Hershey’s team are unaware of Don’s strong emotional connection to them, which ultimately leads to Don losing his job. The story also delves into Dick’s tough childhood, a rarely explored aspect of Mad Men. This is likely the most emotional pitch since Don’s presentation to Kodak in season one.
“Closest I got to feeling wanted was from a girl who made me go through John’s pockets while they screwed. If I collected more than a dollar, she’d buy me a hershey bar. And I would eat it alone in my room with great ceremony (softly) feeling like a normal kid. I would eat it, alone, in my room, with great ceremony. Feeling like a normal kid. And it said ‘sweet’ on the packet.
It was the only sweet thing in my life.“
Heinz Ketchup
Pass the Heinz
Don suggests a ketchup ad that highlights “passing the ketchup” instead of showing the bottle.
Even though Don Draper created the ‘Pass the Heinz’ campaign almost 50 years ago, the communications still really work in today’s world. Mr. Draper really understood the one thing every Heinz fan knows, which is to never settle for the foods you love without the great taste of Heinz. So in 2017, Heinz brought the “Pass the Heinz” campaign to life, running the ads almost exactly as Draper intended, in print, social media, and on billboards in New York City.
Don Draper, “What’s missing? Pass the HEINZ”
Client, “You mean Heinz Ketchup.”
Don, “It’s Heinz, it only means one thing.”
Don, “The greatest thing you have working for you, is not the photo you take or the picture you paint, it’s the imagination of the consumer“
But the Heinz guys still want to see the bottle.
The Jaguar Pitch
Something Beautiful That you can own
Stan suggests an ad using the word “mistress”, but Don Draper reminds him the client would not want to hear that word in an advertisement. It’s Ginsberg that comes up with concept likening the car to an unattainable woman: “Jaguar: At last, something beautiful you can truly own.”
In the pitch for Jaguar, Don plays on the allure of desire and power. He encapsulates the car’s appeal with a sharp, memorable phrase that strikes a chord with potential buyers, perfectly balancing luxury and aspiration. The pitch plays off of how marketers sell women as sleek, unattainable objects, but it places this in a context meant to be “acceptable.”
Meanwhile…
Joan makes an unspeakable sacrifice to help secure the Jaguar account.
Oh, this car, this thing, gentlemen,
what price would we pay?
What behavior would we forgive?
If they weren’t pretty, if they weren’t temperamental,
if they weren’t beyond our reach
and a little out of our control,
would we love them like we do?
“Jaguar. At last, something beautiful you can truly own.”
The Carousel
Nostalgia
In this classic pitch for Kodak, Don really nails the emotional vibe of nostalgia. He rolls out this slide projector he dubs “The Carousel,” which totally brings back those warm family memories and connections. His storytelling hits home, making it one of the most unforgettable moments of the show.
As the show’s composer, I felt that Jon Hamm’s voice always captivated me, and influenced the way I composed for the show, read more about my score…
“My first job, I was in house at a fur company with this old pro copywriter, Greek, named Teddy. And Teddy told me the most important idea in advertising was ‘new.’ Creates an itch. You simply put your product in there as a kind of calamine lotion. But he also talked about a deeper bond with the product: nostalgia. It’s delicate, but potent.” – Jon Hamm as Don Draper
