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How Mad Men ads compare with ones that actually ran in the 1960s

Kodak, Lucky Strike, Right Guard… here are the ads that Don Draper and co came up with, and the ads that the companies actually ran.

OVER THE PAST five seasons, a number of real brands have appeared on Mad Men as clients of Sterling Cooper, and now Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce.

Those clients have included Jaguar, Kodak and cigarette company Lucky Strike.

But are the ads created by the agency in the show anything like the actual ads created for those brands 50 years ago?

We compared the ads created for the show with those that actually appeared. In most cases what we see on Mad Men is vastly different than the advertising put out by the brands during the 1960s.

1. Kodak

Don Draper pitches the Kodak Carousel account in Season 1: “Nostalgia. It’s delicate but potent. Switch it on.”

Here is the real ad for the Carousel, which was launched in 1962:

2. Swimwear company Jantzen

When Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce pitched Jantzen, the clients were turned off by the ‘wink’ in this ad

In reality, Jantzen wasn’t afraid of being a little provocative in its ads. This one is from 1960.

3. Life cereal

On the show, Life cereal wanted an ad that touted its health benefits. It rejected this Don Draper creation.

This ad from 1962 shows that Life cereal really was pushing a health message at the time.

4. Right Guard

When Draper & co land the Right Guard account, they create something they hope will appeal to female shoppers.

Real Right Guard ads in the 1960s also tried to appeal to women.

5. London Fog raincoats

In season 3, Don discovers that Sal is gay while on a business trip. That inspired this ad – where a woman flashes a man – for London Fog raincoats.

London Fog published this ad in 1964 by ad agency Leo Burnett.

6. Aquanet hairspray

In the show, Sterling Cooper pitches for the Aquanet hairspray account by acting out this commercial.

This couldn’t be further from Aquanet’s real ads during the early1960s, which starred The Three Stooges.

(Video: edwardscove/YouTube)

7. Playtex

When Sterling Cooper was told to up the ante on the Playtex account to compete with rival underwear company Maidenform, they came up with this topical beauty. Are you a Jackie or a Marilyn?

This was the ad that ran when the famous Cross Your Heart bra was launched in 1965. Soon after, Playtex would use actress Jane Russell as a spokeswoman.

8. Lucky Strike cigarettes

Lucky Strike was the big client on the Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce roster. Here is a sketch from Don Draper.

American footballer Frank Gifford was the Lucky Strike spokesman from 1961 to 1962. These ads are referenced in Mad Men with Lucky Strike’s slogan ‘It’s Toasted’.

9. Samsonite luggage

Don rejects a commercial for Samsonite featuring American footballer Joe Namath and instead opts for this ad, inspired by the fight between Muhammed Ali and Sonny Liston.

But this real Samsonite ad from 1964 emphasises the style of the luggage and not the strength (although previous campaigns had showcased the product’s strength).

10. Patio Diet Cola

For Patio Diet Cola, the team at Sterling Cooper put together this ad featuring an Ann Margaret lookalike parodying her famous sequence in the film “Bye Bye Birdie.”

Patio Diet Cola was introduced by Pepsi in 1963 with this ad. This is one of very few produced for the brand before it became Diet Pepsi.

11. Hilton hotels

Conrad Hilton comes to Don to ask for a new campaign for Hilton Hotels. This campaign – “Your window to the world” – failed to impress Hilton, who wanted Don to aim for the moon.

Hilton had a variety of campaigns in the 1960s. Some emphasised service, others locations, and still more world peace through travel. Here is one ad from that period.

12. Glo-Coat floor wax

Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce’s first hit campaign was for Glo-Coat. This TV commercial showed a little boy in a cowboy costume clamouring for someone to “get him out” of the jail he’s made behind a chair.

Johnson’s Glo-Coat commercials actually looked something like this. It’s corny, to say the least. We’ll go with the Draper version any day.

(Video: MiscVideos78rpm/YouTube)

(All images: Mad Men AMC/Business Insider)

Read: The Spoofer’s Guide to Talking About TV Shows >

Read: Really Mad Men: new pictures reveal lots of sour pusses for the new season >

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    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute shrew
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    May 27th 2013, 7:07 AM

    Who buys counterfeit DVDs or CDs anymore?

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    Mute Andy Cleary
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    May 27th 2013, 9:42 AM

    People that have crap broadband.

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    Mute Ciarán Kenny
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    May 27th 2013, 8:02 AM

    Who buys counterfeit stethoscopes?! Pictured to the right in the article.

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    Mute Ronan Stokes
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    May 27th 2013, 8:52 AM

    Quacks.

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    Mute Eamonn Bolger
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    May 27th 2013, 9:32 AM

    No counterfeit Government seized?

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    Mute Alan McNamara
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    May 27th 2013, 12:40 PM

    Doctor Nick Riviera

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    Mute JJ Rossi
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    May 28th 2013, 12:06 AM

    Doctors probably, it’s not just simple medical equipment like that either, things like dentists tools and even X-ray machines are made by counterfeiters. The latter giving hundreds of times more radiation than the proper machine.

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    Mute John Campbell
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    May 27th 2013, 7:10 AM

    Sure haven’t we got counterfeit government? What’s new?

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    Mute Tim Kennedy
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    May 27th 2013, 7:17 AM

    Yawn

    40
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    Mute Continent Simian
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    May 27th 2013, 7:31 AM

    Yer ma is counterfeit.

    57
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    Mute OU812
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    May 27th 2013, 7:05 AM

    There’s counterfeit condoms (Durex) on the streets which, while sounding funny, is very worrying.

    Apparently porous & lubricated with vegetable oil.

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    Mute Ciaran O HUrmoltaigh
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    May 27th 2013, 9:03 AM

    You would have to be hard up to have to resort to buying those.

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    Mute Galwaybay
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    May 27th 2013, 6:55 AM

    How many of these goods were stolen back from revenue by the criminals like what happen in Dundalk sat night.

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    Mute sean
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    May 27th 2013, 8:10 AM

    what happened in dundalk ?

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    Mute Galwaybay
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    May 27th 2013, 8:20 AM

    Well according to rte news laundered diesel was seized during the week. Apparently the criminal broke in an army barracks where it was being stored and stole the tanker back with all the diesel still on board

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    Mute Eileen Dover
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    May 27th 2013, 8:35 AM

    Took some balls to carry this out, just read it on the news.

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    Mute sean
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    May 27th 2013, 9:07 AM

    dundalk is a great place to live ….you gotta love Da-town :)

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    Mute Eamonn Bolger
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    May 27th 2013, 9:33 AM

    That is a complete and utter joke. After all that effort?

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    Mute sean
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    May 27th 2013, 12:12 PM

    must be worth a lot of Doe , otherwise they wouldn’t have bothered going to the hassle of robbing it back ,
    from a defence forces barracks(they broke down the get , walked in took the truck and drove out) ………… says alot about the defence forces really

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    Mute Gerard
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    May 27th 2013, 12:18 PM

    Did they not hop the wall, start the lorry and then drive through the gate? Hate to be the soldiers on security detail when this happened?

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    Mute Martin St John
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    May 27th 2013, 4:27 PM

    Geard.. Ever heard of ‘back-handers? Or , turn a blind eye !!

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    Mute Gerard
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    May 27th 2013, 5:05 PM

    Martin, I know the barracks well. There’s CCTV covering the ground. They didn’t just walk in the front gate!

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    Mute James Lyons
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    May 27th 2013, 9:18 AM

    I’m just waiting for this picture to appear in my timeline with “share this photo to be in with a chance of winning all these prizes”

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    Mute Dylan Ryan
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    May 27th 2013, 1:35 PM

    Every thing is made in China……..Apart from babies, they’re made in the VaChina

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    Mute CAPT. ADEBAYO FLYNN
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    May 27th 2013, 9:19 AM

    I sell counterfeit counterfeits of 90′s boy band calendars. I’m doing PRETTY good.

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    Mute Mumble Mumble
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    May 27th 2013, 10:55 AM

    The Chinese; a great bunch of lads.

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    Mute Erica Corcoran
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    May 27th 2013, 8:58 AM

    I’ve heard some people report that legitimate Chinese manufactured mobile phones are being seized as counterfeit goods.

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    Mute Andrew Matheson
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    May 27th 2013, 1:10 PM

    Is Alan shatter’s Rolex there too??

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    Mute tax slave
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    May 27th 2013, 9:03 AM

    I bought a Nokia phone once from a shop . Only after i got home did i notice the the name was spelled different and was a peace of crap. Made in China

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    Mute Randy Fisher
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    May 27th 2013, 9:08 AM

    Everything is made in China now

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    Mute sean
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    May 27th 2013, 12:13 PM

    the more the ordinary people get ripped off buy the gov ,
    the more they will rely on the black market .

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    Mute Kerry Blake
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    May 27th 2013, 10:36 AM

    What happened to my comment?

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    Mute JJ Rossi
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    May 28th 2013, 12:08 AM

    Nothing, there it is ^

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