How Don Are you?

Background

Mad Men is a TV series following the fortunes of a number of advertising executives on Madison Avenue in the 1960’s. The main character is Don Draper, the chain-smoking, adulterous creative director of agency Sterling Cooper.

Prime TV wanted to promote Series 3 of the hit show.

Idea

In the series, Don Draper smokes, drinks and shags like there’s no tomorrow. The insight was that, if they were honest, most guys would like to be more than a little like Don.

The TV, radio, outdoor and online work all challenged audiences with the line: How Don are you? They were directed towards howdonareyou.com where they could get advice on how to increase their Donness.

To help create buzz, journalists were specially targeted with a mailing specific to them. They were sent a hand-made Don Doll, complete with authentic hand-stitched houndstooth suit and trilby hat – just what they might need to pick up a few handy tips on ‘dressing like Don’.

Results

The campaign actually increased viewership for season 3 with launch-night ratings up 31% on season 2 launch.

Over the course of the entire series, average ratings were 10% higher than for series 2.  (Ratings measured against the channel demo of All 25-54.)

The campaign managed to reinvigorate viewing for a show with a continuing plot line.

Our Thoughts

Underpinning this campaign is an idea that could work (and did work) in any medium. It asks, how chauvinist, how unprincipled, how darned lucky (to be able to get away with with it) are you? For many modern men, the fantasy that is Don does seem to be uncomfortably beguiling.

So for me the idea of ‘How Don Are you?’ is acidly sardonic. I especially liked the Don doll which was mailed out to journalists to help create buzz. I’m sure the uplift in ratings was down to targeting this particular group of influencers.

Incidentally, maybe Mattel got mailed one by mistake because news this week is that the Barbie-maker is to release a range Mad Men dolls.