'Unbuttoned' Is an Introduction to the Mad Men Era
The AMC drama Mad Men is more than a television series—it also serves as a time capsule for a bygone age that borders on nostalgia. Although the narrative is gripping and the characters are both relatable and intriguing, part of the show’s appeal is its ability to capture the spirit of the 1960s through its use of style and cultural icons from the period. In her book Mad Men Unbuttoned: A Romp Through 1960s America (Harper Design, 2010), author Natasha Vargas-Cooper offers a series of short and concise chapters on these edifying aspects of the era that give further insight into the ongoing Mad Men saga.
The first section of Mad Men Unbuttoned is by far the most enjoyable as Vargas-Cooper explores one of the central elements of the award-winning series, the advertising industry. Not only does the author detail various “schools” that were prevalent during the 1960s, she also draws their direct relationship and influence on Don Draper, the creative director of Sterling Cooper and the main protagonist of Mad Men. Based on the various campaigns that Draper has developed during the series, it is apparent to Natasha Vargas-Cooper that he is a disciple of Leo Burnett, the revolutionary ad man based out of Chicago.
Burnett had a very “down-to-earth” and “familiar” approach to the business as opposed to using mere clever word play, and during his lifetime crafted such legendary advertising icons as the Jolly Green Giant, Tony the Tiger, the Pillsbury Doughboy and the Marlboro Man. He also had an intense loyalty to his clients and kept his firm small in order to better service them. Mad Men Unbuttoned offers a quote from Don Draper, from when he was forced to sever ties with Mohawk Airlines because Sterling Cooper had a shot at landing a larger client, that could very well have been spoken by Burnett. “We already have an airline,” Draper begins. “A good client who trusts us, who likes our work, who pays their bill on time. They don’t deserve to be thrown out the door for a wink from American.”
While Leo Burnett was based in Chicago, one of his most successful protégés, Draper Daniels, established himself on the Madison Avenue of Mad Men and no doubt serves as the prototype for Don Draper. “You seem to think we’re here to sell you some advertising and that you’re here to buy some advertising,” Daniels once told a client. “As long as you have that idea you’re never going to get anything worthwhile from any agency.” While not as flamboyant as Don Draper’s infamous “I’m not here to tell you about Jesus” speech, it nonetheless underscores the point that both the real and fictitious Drapers share the same philosophy when it comes to the advertising industry.
In addition to offering brief biographies of the major players in the field during the 1960s—including David Ogilvy and Bill Bernbach, both of whom have been mentioned on Mad Men—Unbuttoned also explores the actual campaigns utilized by companies that were also clients of the fictional Sterling Cooper. Lucky Strikes, which served as the central focus of the pilot episode and continues to be an influential client on Mad Men, as well as Western Union, American Airlines, Bethlehem Steel and Eastman Kodak receive overviews on their advertisements within the pages of Mad Men Unbuttoned. The Kodak chapter is particularly insightful as the company had originally emphasized the technological aspects of its products before switching to the firm of Doyle Dane Bernbach in 1957. Just as Draper told Kodak that “technology is a glittering lure but there’s the rare occasion where the public can be engaged in a level beyond flash,” DDB convinced the manufacturer to go with a more simplified campaign featuring candid photographs of every day life with the tag line, “It’s like opening a present.”
Mad Men Unbuttoned contains a number of other sections that center on additional aspects of the decade, including women in the workplace, sex and the role of cigarettes, alcohol and drugs during the time period. Arguably the most amusing piece is entitled “The Sexual Alchemy of Don Draper,” which distills the appeal of the fictional womanizer into an amalgamation of four movie stars from the early years of cinema—Cary Grant, Clark Gable, Humphrey Bogart and John Wayne. On screen, author Natasha Vargas-Cooper argues, Carey Grant was often attracted to aggressive woman much like Draper, but whereas the characters portrayed by Grant had a respectful nature towards the opposite sex, Draper shares a similarity to the more rugged masculinity of Clark Gable. Don Draper’s quiet demeanor, meanwhile, resembles that of Humphrey Bogart while his protective nature is more along the lines of John Wayne.
In the introduction to Unbuttoned, Vargas-Cooper writes that the series is “about the culture clash and contradictions that occurred during the twilight of the Eisenhower era, the great societal shake-up of the 1960s, and how that pressurized time in history formed modern America, its families, its consciousness, and its consumers.” While the AMC drama does indeed tell such a story through the eyes of its characters and the effects that the changes within society has on their lives, Mad Men Unbuttoned: A Romp Through 1960s America serves as a complimentary companion to the narrative by exploring the culture of the decade in a more concise fashion. As the subtitle states, the book is “a romp though 1960s America,” and thus an enjoyable read for fans of Mad Men as well as those nostalgic for the time period of its setting.
Anthony Letizia (September 6, 2010)
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