“Mad Men” mania hits the States
“MAD MEN” mania is setting in in the States as the fifth season of the hit series kicks off this Sunday. As befits a television drama depicting the dawning of the ad industry, the advertising campaign for the show has caused a great stir.
In New York City, where the show is set, there have been complaints that one of the posters is insensitive to victims of the 9/11 attacks. The poster shows a drawing of a besuited man tumbling from the sky. Critics say it is uncomfortably reminiscent of the harrowing photograph known as “Falling Man”. Captured by Richard Drew, that photo showed a man falling head first out of the Twin Towers on 9/11.
But this week “Mad Men” creator Matthew Weiner hit back at the critics who have complained that the poster is “cruel” and “tasteless”. In an interview with Salon.com, he said: “That image is the show. It’s been a part of the show since the beginning… I hate to say it, but a businessman falling out of a window is a symbol that far precedes that event.” Weiner accused journalists of “exploiting 9/11”. He said: “What I see are journalists looking for a story, going and confronting these 9/11 victims.”
AMC, the network showing “Mad Men” in the US, has defended the poster, which was plastered across New York City, including on streets near Ground Zero. The network said the image is a metaphor for the turmoil experienced by Don Draper, the main character.
Evidently, not all New Yorkers were offended by the poster. Some turned the “Mad Men” ad campaign into an opportunity to show off their own creative skills, altering the posters with humorous effects. These days, when no ad campaign can claim success without first going viral, the controversies and online sharing of the tagged “Mad Men” posters must have pleased the show’s producers. And, surely, Don Draper would approve?
See more images at The Gothamist.
Posted: 22nd, March 2012 | In: TV & Radio Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
