The Real Mad Men and Women of Madison Avenue

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception

A new documentary that looks back at the men and women behind some of America's most ground-breaking ad campaigns is set to answer one question that has kept Mad Man fans fascinated: What were the advertising agencies of Madison Avenue really like during the Sixties?

The Real Mad Men and Women of Madison Avenue, premiering June 30 on Thirteen, reveals whether those martini lunches and workplace sex trysts were the stuff of dreams or reality.
Interviewing real-life Don Drapers and Peggy Olsons - legendary writers and art directors who created iconic ads for Volkswagen, Avis, and Dove - the hour-long film talks sex, stereotypes and chutzpah of the Sixties ad age.

The Real Mad Men and Women of Madison Avenue: Premiering June 30 on Thirteen, the documentary reveals whether those three martini lunches and workplace sex trysts were the stuff of dreams or reality

 
'We were so thrilled to be admitted to this mans world, we didn't care if we were in this ghetto of women's  products,' explains Jane Mass, the creative director at Ogilvy & Mather who ran the iconic 'I Love New York' campaign.
'We genuflected before the men who were running everything,' she says in the documentary.

 

'We worked on accountants that were considered womens accounts, like food, and beverages. I worked on beautiful accounts like Draino toilet bowel cleaner. All the prettyy accounts were mine.'
The documentary, which chronicles the growth of the advertising industry from the Fifties through today, also showcases the creative, innovative, and iconic work that was created at the time.

The original Don Draper? George Lois, the art director best known for the covers he designed for Esquire magazine from 1962 to 1972, pictured today and in 1964

The real Peggy Olsen? Jane Mass, the creative director at Ogilvy & Mather who ran the iconic 'I Love New York' campaign, say she was a woman in a 'mans world'

  

The Real Mad Men and Women of Madison Avenue: 

Some of the most memorable campaigns and slogans the film touches on include 'End of the Plain Plane' for Braniff International Airlines, the 'Think Small' ad for Volkswagen, and 'You don’t have to be Jewish to love Levy’s' for Levy’s Real Jewish Rye.
And although the documentary uses Mad Men as inspiration, many of the creative executives of the Sixties say that the show trivializes the advertising industry.
'I'm called the original mad men all over the world, and it drives me nuts!' exclaims George Lois, the art director best known for the covers he designed for Esquire magazine from 1962 to 1972.
'You know, I'm not Don Draper, and second of all, I was much better looking than Don Draper back then!'

Industry insights: Amil Gargano, now 81, worked on accounts for Avis, Volvo, and FedEx, alongside Carl Ally at the award-winning agency, Ally & Gargano, and reveals just how sexually charged his agency could be

Legendary lady: Paula Green, a pioneer of women in advertising, is responsible for the Avis motto 'We Try Harder,' and touches on the all-white male club that ran the industry in the film

But when it comes to romantic relationships in and outside the office, it seems that Mad Men, which portrays infidelity and sexual harassment as being prevalent within the industry, is far more realistic than they like to think.
Amil Gargano, 81, who worked on accounts for Avis, Volvo, and FedEx, alongside Carl Ally at the award-winning agency, Ally & Gargano reveals just how sexually charged his agency could be.
'Carl Ally was generally horny,' he admits in the film. 'I mean, the cleaning women were not safe at night when he worked late.'
Jerry Della Femina, who founded the advertising agency Della Femina Travisano & Partners in the Sixties, encouraged romance between creatives and secretaries.

Boys club: Jerry Della Femina, who founded the advertising agency Della Femina Travisano & Partners in the Sixties, encouraged romance between creatives and secretaries

Number one guy: Len Sirowitz was the 'Number One Art Director in America' in 1968 and 1970 polls taken by Ad Weekly; at Doyle Dane Bernbach, his accounts included Mobil, Volkswagen and Sonyx

The real Mad Men? Although the documentary uses Mad Men as inspiration, many creative executives of the Sixties say that the show trivializes the advertising industry

'I encouraged romance in my agency because I figured when people are interested in each other, they'll come in earlier and stay later,' he reveals.
Thanks to Mad Men, sexed-up and discriminatory stereotypes of the advertising industry run the gamut.
Paula Green, a pioneer of women in advertising who is responsible for the Avis motto 'We Try Harder,' touches on the all-white male club that ran the industry in the film.
'You had all of these big old time agencies with their old time clients and their old boy networks,' she explains.

Iconic ads: The documentary takes a look back at the men and women behind some of America's most ground-breaking ad campaigns

Work ethic: George Lois said of his agency,' 'We were working around the sharpest people in the world. You're sitting there, out-punning people and you go home exhausted, but you wake up all "let's go and do it again!"'

Meanwhile Roy Eaton, the first black creative in a general market agency - Young & Rubicam - recalls the industry as being 'totally waspy'.
'There was never a black on any commercial I ever wrote,' he says. '[The executives] just said to me, "This is your day job, you're working in a white world, live with it."'
But despite the tough clients, long hours, and exessive drinking, it seems the creatives had fun, for the most part.
Mr Lois said: 'No one had more fun than agencies like mine.
'We were working around the sharpest people in the world. You're sitting there, out-punning people and you go home exhausted at the end of the day, but you wake up the next morning all "let's go, let's go and do it again!"

Read more:

• The Real Mad Men and Women of Madison Avenue | Watch | THIRTEEN - New York Public Media