Binge-Worth Marketing: Mad Men

Welcome to the very first edition of Binge-Worth Marketing: CMAC’s Fall insights series where we have picked some of our favourite movies and TV shows and turned them into five-minute reading marketing crash courses. 

Each month we’ll break down a must-watch title that every business and specially marketing student should have in their queue. We will pick apart unconventional strategies we see on screen, debate whether they would work in real life, and hopefully send you running to binge the show. September’s watch was a television classic and marketer’s most favourite: Mad Men.

Back in the ‘60s, 20 prominent advertising agencies settled in New York’s Madison Avenue. The execs slowly started calling themselves “Mad Men,” not because they were angry corporate men, but as shorthand for Madison plus Men (so creative, right?). Now, this show brings us the exceptional creative agency Sterling Cooper where we meet the enigmatic creative director, master storyteller Don Draper, and if you need a description of him picture Harvey Specter with a marketing degree instead of a law degree (and if you’re wondering who that is, add Suits to your watchlist!).

The show’s premise is that good advertising doesn’t brainwash you, it simply reminds you of what you already want. And Don Draper is a master at uncovering people’s hidden desires. In the world of Mad Men, if marketing was an addiction everyone would be drinking labels and smoking ads. 

Here’s the setup for one of Don’s boldest pitches in the show: Sterling Cooper is looking to land a big national account and that’s when Heinz ketchup comes in as the ultimate account to get. Ketchup was becoming very popular across the US, but Heinz wanted people to picture their ketchup as the only one (so greedy). But in a world where all ketchup bottles look the same, what could possibly be the differentiator?

Two very different creative minds are fighting for the account: Peggy Olson, Don’s pupil now working for the competition, and our ever-insufferable Don Draper. 

Peggy proposes a classic solution: a glossy ad featuring a close up image of a Heinz bottle with the slogan “Heinz. The Only Ketchup.” She didn’t overthink it, it was straightforward, polished, and exactly what the client wanted. Don’s idea? Ironically, the complete opposite. He dares to show the client three simple images of fries, a steak, and a burger each on a plain white background topped with a three-word slogan “Pass the Heinz.” No logo, no product, and not a single splash of the red colour. 

His pitch? Just the food you would instinctively reach for ketchup to eat. (As a marketer I expect you to agree this was a masterpiece.)

But yes, Heinz executives were not impressed. In their eyes, Don is trolling them. Unsurprisingly, they go with Peggy’s campaign. Peggy’s route was safe and client-friendly; Don’s was a bet on the power of brand meaning itself. For Draper, the strongest brand statement is the one you barely say at all, and it is what marketers know today as: implied-presence strategy.

Don’s pitch wasn’t chosen in the episode, but here’s the big question: could “Pass the Heinz” have actually worked back then? 

The truth is, probably not. In the ‘60s Ad norms demanded that you show the product and spell its benefits (exactly what Peggy gave them). Although agencies like DDB (with Volkswagen) were already starting to push more conceptual campaigns with emotional resonance, a minimalist concept like “Pass the Heinz” could have easily unsettled both clients and consumers who expected more direct communication. Without today’s emphasis on brand storytelling, it’s likely that Heinz would have thought Don was serving them a half-empty plate.

Now, would Don’s campaign work in today's day and age?

Absolutely, and it did. In 2017, Heinz actually launched the “Pass the Heinz” campaign, using Don’s fictional ads almost exactly as pitched in the show. By that time, Heinz didn’t need to scream “we’re ketchup” anymore; they had over a century of reputation built in. The craving spoke louder than the bottle. And modern audiences? We’re way more comfortable with implied branding (think Apple showing just the logo or Nike highlighting athletes and emotion rather than the shoes). Storytelling has become central to modern advertising. Instead of showing the product, Heinz relied on the narrative of anticipation. The ads invited consumers to envision the experience themselves, turning them into active participants in the brand’s story.

Mad Men’s ketchup showdown is proof that some ideas are simply too ahead of their time. What was “too risky” in the ‘60s turned into a cultural win half a century later. Don Draper’s pitch demonstrates that bold, minimalist, and concept-driven campaigns can grab attention and elevate a brand, but only when the brand’s reputation and audience awareness are strong enough to carry the idea. 

So what's the ketch(up)? Here’s what marketers can bottle up from this story:

• Brand Awareness Gives Creative Freedom: Well-known brands can take creative risks because consumers already recognize, value, and trust them.

• Less Can Be More: Minimalist campaigns can create stronger emotional connections than traditional, feature-heavy ones.

• Storytelling is Key: Inviting consumers to imagine the moment makes them more invested and emotionally connected.

• Understand Risk Vs. Reward: Innovative campaigns may be rejected in favor of “safer” approaches, but pushing creative boundaries often drives cultural resonance when done right.

  
  

Ultimately, TV shows and movies centered on marketing provide a unique lens into real-world marketing challenges and innovations. The lessons on screen don’t just entertain; they allow marketers to analyze strategy, study campaigns, understand consumer behaviour, and draw inspiration from both successes and failures.

And that concludes the first edition of Binge-Worth Marketing. We’ve passed the Heinz, now we’re passing the remote - check back in October for the next title on our watchlist!

Ariana Tomé X Briana Pirolli