Having worked in seven agencies from the mid 50s to the late 80s as a copywriter, creative director and President, I find the advertising business as depicted in Mad Men wholly foreign to my experience. For example, I never ever saw a single bottle of hooch on premises (we did our drinking off-site). Come the 60s writers and art directors wouldn’t be caught dead in a tie much less a suit (unless visiting a client). Except for Executive Art Directors, Creative Directors and the odd Copy Group Head, creatives were housed in unimposing cubicles. Whoever praised Mad Men for it’s historical accuracy” never visited the thirty or forty agencies I was familiar with. It was/is a fun business, but not that much fun!
Samm Coombs