What You Can Learn About the Creative World From Mad Men


The popularity of AMC’s Mad Men has prompted a lot of our clients to look at the work we do in a whole new light. It’s an entertaining show, to be sure, but could any of what you see actually be reflected in our day-to-day reality?

Probably the quickest answer is “not really”… but that doesn’t really tell the whole story.

That’s because, even though times have changed and our careers aren’t nearly as dramatic as the ones spelled out on that show, there are a handful of elements to Sterling and Cooper that the team at Envision can relate to. Even though the backdrop has changed – luckily, women’s rights and diversity aren’t the “controversial” topics they once were – some parts of the marketing and advertising world are enduring.

Here are a few ways that life at Envision is actually a little bit like an episode of Mad Men:

Finding and keeping clients is something that’s always necessary. If only earning new accounts were as easy as throwing back a few martinis over a steak dinner! In the real world, clients sometimes come and go, regardless of anything we do. As companies change hands, contacts change, and creative directions change, even happy clients sometimes move on. Or, we do so much great work for them that they just don’t need any new websites, brochures, or press releases for a while.

Even a successful creative agency like ours has to look for the next “Mohawk Airlines” from time to time.

We have to sell the client before you can sell the public. Believe it or not, one of our most stressful duties is explaining a new campaign, layout, or other piece of creative work to a new client. That’s because they have to approve it – and hopefully love it the way we do – before it can go live and start winning new business for them. We pour a lot of time, effort, and love into every single project we create, and it’s always a big moment when we unveil it to the business owner or marketing manager for the first time.

It takes a lot of hard behind-the-scenes work to create inspiration, and so we are as excited to show you what we’ve done as you are to see it.

Clients always come first. Along the same lines, people tend to think that “being creative” is our first job. That’s important, but it’s not necessarily true. What matters most is that we can handle deadlines, execute successful campaigns, and help the men and women who hire us to meet their bottom-line goals. In our world, the big moment doesn’t come when we convince someone to work with us… it happens in the months and years that follow afterward.

As you may have noticed, the one thing we really have in common with the characters on Mad Men is that we are constantly trying to use our creativity for our clients. I guess it doesn’t matter whether you are on TV or in the real-life business world – doing a great job for the people who hire you is always the biggest story at any creative agency.

Envison 10 year anniversary

 

Ready to work with a team that takes the drama out of working with a marketing group? Sit down with Envision Creative and we will help you come up with a script for bigger profits.

In the mean time, tell us some of your favorite Mad Men moments.