If you’re like us, you were under the impression that The Refinery came up with the winning concept for the Mad Men Season 5 bake-off. However, according to an article in the New York Times:
Matthew Weiner, series creator, said the image is “a nonverbal representation of where my head is at and where the show will be.”
As usual, Mr. Weiner said, he discussed his idea for the image with Linda Schupack, executive vice president for marketing at AMC, part of AMC Networks, who brought it to life in creating the campaign.
The image suggests “Don Draper’s ongoing struggle to define who he is to himself and to those around him,” Ms. Schupack added.
To me, the image suggests that the show comes back on the air on March 25, 9/8c.
Posted by: peggy's underwire | Thursday, March 01, 2012 at 09:45 AM
Where's the shark?
Posted by: Jiminy Kritic | Thursday, March 01, 2012 at 09:58 AM
The composition isn't horrible. At least they went for it. I'll give them credit for that. But not much.
Posted by: Art Korrector | Thursday, March 01, 2012 at 10:15 AM
Why is Don's face key lit on the right and his reflection from the opposite side???!!
Posted by: Sr. Art Korrector | Thursday, March 01, 2012 at 10:53 AM
Uh, wrong decade, guys. Looks like something from 1956, not 1966… or whenever year its supposed to be.
Posted by: Bob Loblaw | Thursday, March 01, 2012 at 11:06 AM
The light is correct, it's a window so there is light inside and outside the window. If you disagree why don't you ask whoever shot it for confirmation.
Posted by: Light Korrector | Thursday, March 01, 2012 at 12:01 PM
The image is “a nonverbal representation of where my head is at and where the show will be,” Mr. Weiner said. “By the end of the season I guarantee you’ll know what it is about.”
What a douchebag.
Posted by: Lady Douche | Thursday, March 01, 2012 at 01:54 PM
Sorry, Light Korrector that makes no sense. It's a mistake and/or the usual crappy art direction that's been an hallmark of the series' campaigns.
Posted by: Sr. Art Korrector | Thursday, March 01, 2012 at 02:12 PM
http://tinyurl.com/7anpgb6
Posted by: Cut N. Paste | Thursday, March 01, 2012 at 02:13 PM
Weiner sounds like a dick.
Posted by: P. Ness | Thursday, March 01, 2012 at 05:38 PM
The real crime here is NO COPY? WTF?
Posted by: Copy Korrector | Thursday, March 01, 2012 at 06:51 PM
The only douchebag is Sr. Art Korrector. Talk about a wacom up your ass! Get over yourself, think you're in the minority when it comes to not liking the campaigns, certainly a lot better then most of the work being done in this town — most likely better then anything in your book.
Posted by: Personality Korrector | Thursday, March 01, 2012 at 06:56 PM
The best thing about this ad is that it's for the final season of this crapfest.
What a wasted opportunity: to have a show set in the "golden age of advertising" and then promote it with some of the most banal and self-reverential ads in recent memory (and poorly art directed on top of that.)
Posted by: Sr. Art Korrector | Thursday, March 01, 2012 at 07:10 PM
Banal, doubt it, self-reverential, even less so. Hate the ads and the art direction but they certainly aren't lacking in originality. That's 90% of everything else we do in this town.
Posted by: Word Korrector | Thursday, March 01, 2012 at 08:10 PM
Dear Light Korrector,
How could the light be possibly correct? Don's right ear and cheek are fully lit, almost blowing out, while the same side of his face, when reflected, is in total shadow. Worse things have happened in the world of Key Art,it's true, but don't go freaking out over someone's comment when it is actually korrect.
Posted by: j'accuse | Thursday, March 01, 2012 at 08:38 PM
Thank you.
Posted by: Sr. Art Director | Friday, March 02, 2012 at 09:31 AM
In Photoshop there's this think called a curve. You can make things brighter or darker. It's crazy. Maybe someone actually did something to the photo after it was shot. Crazy.
Posted by: Photoshop Korrector | Friday, March 02, 2012 at 09:42 AM
We all need to get over ourselves. Take a vacation in Europe if you need to be humbled by advertising.
Posted by: Duck Phillips | Friday, March 02, 2012 at 09:59 AM
Curve control doesn't change the direction of the light! It's lazy art direction.
Posted by: Curve Ball | Friday, March 02, 2012 at 10:21 AM
Any of you lighting experts ever consider more then one light source? Possible they had more then one here. Someone needs to take a photography lesson or go to a shoot and actually see how things are lit.
Posted by: Sr. Light Korrector | Friday, March 02, 2012 at 10:34 AM
"Someone needs to take a photography lesson or go to a shoot and actually see how things are lit."
That someone is the person who art directed this travesty.
Posted by: Sr. Art Korrector | Friday, March 02, 2012 at 11:33 AM
Who hurt you Sr. Art Korrector? Sounds like maybe The Refinery did. Let it go. You'll be happier for it.
Posted by: Attitude Korrector | Friday, March 02, 2012 at 12:25 PM
¿Por qué tan amarga, Señor Art Korrector?
Posted by: Curious Jorge | Friday, March 02, 2012 at 12:44 PM
Mark Twain once said "To succeed in life, you need two things: ignorance and confidence."
Sr. Light Korrector you clearly have both in abundance.
I'm sure you'll go far in this town...
Posted by: j'accuse | Friday, March 02, 2012 at 07:55 PM
What's lost with all you dweebs is the fact that AMC like FX and few other TV clients are far more ambitious and creative then anyone else out there. This ad, despite its lighting issues is far superior then anything ABC, NBC or CBS is doing. HBO only wishes they still had balls large enough to do this and TNT can't execute anything. Stack that up with the everyday mind numbingly generic key art for theatrical and this still sits atop the heap. I for one like it, think its bold and wish my agency had clients with enough wisdom to try.
Posted by: Key Art Maker | Saturday, March 03, 2012 at 01:26 PM
All I know is that the mannequin's head looks more lifelike positioned atop her body than Andrew McCarthy's does atop his.
Posted by: Neptune's Net | Saturday, March 03, 2012 at 02:38 PM
To me this would have been a lot more powerful if Don's reflected face were closer, almost overlapping, that of the male mannequin's. Right now it reads to me like in his quest for an identity that he's considering a sex change.
Posted by: Bobby Brinks | Saturday, March 03, 2012 at 02:53 PM
Not to mention the tangencies with the tips of both slippers! And don't get us started on that right ankle...
"Atop the heap", indeed. (The steaming heap.)
Posted by: Sr. Art Korrector | Saturday, March 03, 2012 at 03:25 PM
Key Art Maker is spot on. You know it’s a good poster when it provokes seething jealousy from small thinkers like Sr. Art Korrector.
Posted by: The Screaming Art Director | Saturday, March 03, 2012 at 04:55 PM
I agree with Key Art Maker - kudos to AMC, FX and those others with balls to step outside the "box" and let their agencies be creative to begin with (regardless of whether the seed for an idea comes from, it's the agency that does the heavy lifting). Congrats to The Refinery for several years worth of real adverting for this show.
Posted by: David Pressman, former AE | Saturday, March 03, 2012 at 09:01 PM
LOL. What kind of "balls" does it take to acquiesce to a producer's lame-brain marketing idea (and then execute it so haphazardly)? In this case, The Emperor, like the mannequin, has no clothes.
Posted by: Sr. Art Director | Sunday, March 04, 2012 at 09:25 AM
Oh Sr. Art Director you're either a pixel pusher or failed AE who has long been out of the game, which is it? Are you really so green/naive to not understand the value and importance of keeping the clients happy? Cooperation and collaboration are sometimes called for above personal ego! FInd me an agency in town that hasn't been willing to work towards a show runner, director or producers idea and I'll show you a failed business.
Also believe you're alone in judging this ad as lame, really is an interesting way to sell the 5th season of a show. It really has sparked a lot of conversation, that makes it good!
Posted by: Current AE | Sunday, March 04, 2012 at 06:46 PM
It's one thing to "keep the client happy", it's another to keep them from running off a cliff following their own lame "concept". Obviously, you've never watched the show. As a neophyte AE, you might actually learn something from it.
Posted by: Sr. Art Korrector | Sunday, March 04, 2012 at 07:27 PM
Sr. Art Korrector surely knows it all. He/She must be a legend in this town, or in their own head — talk about running off a cliff that's all you seem to do with your lame comments. Please, more wisdom on how to deal with clients and keep them happy!!! Maybe you can offer a class on how be successful in the art of client relationships.
Posted by: AE with clients | Monday, March 05, 2012 at 09:57 AM
LOL.
Posted by: Sr. Art Korrector (with clients) | Monday, March 05, 2012 at 10:40 AM
"...kudos to AMC, FX and those others with balls to step outside the "box" "
Ahem...
http://www.impawards.com/tv/killing_ver2.html
Posted by: OCD | Monday, March 05, 2012 at 12:30 PM
Kudos to OCD.
David St. Hubbins: "It's such a fine line between stupid,
and uh..."
Nigel Tufnel: "Clever."
David St. Hubbins: "Yeah, and clever."
Posted by: Sr. Art Korrector | Monday, March 05, 2012 at 03:03 PM
Ask the sketch artist.
Posted by: BitterLemon | Monday, March 12, 2012 at 08:41 PM
Oh Sr. Art Korrector, "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned."
Posted by: Anger Manager | Tuesday, March 13, 2012 at 10:23 AM
The correct quotation is: "Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned/ Nor hell a fury like a woman scorned." by William Congreve in The Mourning Bride of 1697
Posted by: Sr. Quote Korrector | Tuesday, March 13, 2012 at 07:22 PM
http://tinyurl.com/85uc6rq
Posted by: Lois George | Monday, March 19, 2012 at 12:45 PM
Undoubtedly, the lamest acclaimed show on television. Season 5, thankfully, the last. Put a bullet in this turkey.
Posted by: Jiminy Kritic | Monday, March 26, 2012 at 11:24 AM