The latest TV drama my wife and I are engrossed in? Mad Men. I know, I know, where have you been, Arik? We’re a little slow to the pop culture scene, at times.
But, we’re hooked now (currently just starting season 5).
Mad Men is a great show. I love the period references, clothing and language. But, what I enjoy most is the insider-baseball advertising/agency references.
The new business conundrums. The inner-office politics. The ineptitude of the partners (at times). The dynamics of an agency meeting. Love it all.
But, most of all: Don Draper. One of the most iconic TV characters of the last 10-plus years. Much has been written about Don Draper (heck, “Dear Abby”-like Tumblr blogs are devoted to him), but one thing continues to linger in my mind as I watch the show: What if Don Draper were transported 50-some years in the future and worked in the PR industry instead?
Well, I actually gave that some thought (yes, I do think about these things). Here’s a list of 15 ways Don Draper would be different if he were working in PR in 2013:
Ad man Don Draper drink of choice: Canadian Club, straight up.
PR man Don Draper drink of choice: Coffee (that’s an easy one).
Ad man Don Draper communication technology: Black office rotary desk phone
PR man Don Draper communication technology: Apple iPhone 5 (with Don’s sense of style, there’s no doubt he’d be an Apple guy–question is, would he use this case?)
Ad man Don Draper tagline: “I want 10 taglines for that ad by 5 p.m.”
PR man Don Draper tagline: “I want 10 ideas for that status update on the client’s Facebook page by 5 p.m.”
Ad man Don Draper afternoon pick-me-up: Afternoon siestas on what appears to be the most uncomfortable couch ever in his office.
PR man Don Draper afternoon pick-me-up: Starbucks iced coffee.
Ad man Don Draper exercise of choice: Swimming in the New York Athletic Club pool.
PR man Don Draper exercise of choice: Yoga.
Ad man Don Draper vehicle of choice: Ford Thunderbird
PR man Don Draper vehicle of choice: BMW 5 series
Ad man Don Draper agency location: New York City (the epicenter of the ad world)
PR man Don Draper agency location: San Francisco (close to Silicon Valley, and many tech and Fortune 500 companies and a wealth of creative talent)
Ad man Don Draper agency partners: An over-the-hill veteran, a raging alcoholic, and a over-organized Brit.
PR man Don Draper agency partners: Nobody. Don is definitely the kind of guy who runs his own firm–his way (and to be honest, I find it hard to believe he would put up with the partners he has for more than 10 minutes).
Ad man Don Draper holiday party: Held in the office, oodles of alcohol, key clients invited with the party going late into the night.
PR man Don Draper holiday party: What holiday party?
Ad man Don Draper management style: Strict, top-down and domineering style
PR man Don Draper management style: Open, empowering and collaborative (OK, this might be a little wishful, but still…)
Ad man Don Draper agency marketing tactic: Writing an op-ed letter to the New York Times declaring his agency is forever done with tobacco companies as clients.
PR man Don Draper agency marketing tactic: Creating a ‘viral video’ (Don’s fatal flaw–thinking he knows it all; it shows up big time here)
Ad man Don Draper office crisis: One of Don’s many girlfriends showing up in the office at the same time as his wife.
PR man Don Draper office crisis: Photos of Don’s “escapades” with one of his many girlfriends surfacing on Facebook.
Ad man Don Draper book to read: Olgilvy on Advertising, by David Olgilvy.
PR man Don Draper book to read: Lean In, by Sheryl Sandberg (just kidding)
Ad man Don Draper client approach: Sell, sell, sell.
PR man Don Draper client approach. Listen, listen, listen.
Ad man Don Draper fashion statement: Skinny tie and the Fedora hat (tie)
PR man Don Draper fashion statement: Allen Edmunds shoes, Brooks Brothers suit (as much as I want Don to be a jeans and jacket guy, he’s just not…)
OK, what did I miss? Add your ideas in the comments below.
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[...] Hanson is principal of ACH Communications in Minneapolis. He blogs at Communications Conversations, where a version of this article originally [...]
[...] picture perfectly the beginning of advertising in America. But if the main character, Don Draper, would have been a PR pro, he would be quite a match for other professionals in our business. He would drink coffee (my daily [...]
[…] this week speculating about what Don Draper might be like as a PR guy in 2013. Check it out here. Not too far off, […]