It's been two years since Mad Men went off the air, and now, one of the ads Don Draper (Jon Hamm) presented on the show will be turned into a real-life campaign.
In the Season 6 episode titled "To Have and to Hold," Don and Stan Rizzo (Jay R. Ferguson) pitched an ad to the makers of Heinz with the slogan "Pass the Heinz."
Heinz ultimately decided to pass on the idea.
In that same episode, Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss), who'd previously left Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce for a different agency, presented an ad that was well-received by the company, because it showcased the iconic ketchup bottle front and center.
Peggy's presentation was arguably better than Don's — and it used Don's iconic line from Season 3 with a client who planned to tear down Penn Station...
But Heinz passed on Peggy's pitch, as well.
But now, more than 50 years later (per the show's timeline), Heinz is turning Don's creative vision into an actual advertisement, using the same images.
Anselmo Ramos is the chief creative officer and founder of DAVID, the ad agency responsible for recreating Don's idea. "One day, we were rewatching Mad Men and saw that episode and we go, 'Man it's a bummer that they didn't approve that ad.' It's a great ad," he told BuzzFeed News.
As for Heinz's concerns about Don's ad on Mad Men, Ramos said, "The consumer will complete the thought." By not seeing the bottle, the consumer will meet Heinz halfway there, he said. "It's in their imagination — very powerful."
Three billboards featuring the ad will be erected in New York City on Mar. 13.
The ads will also run in the New York Post, and the fries ad will run in Variety magazine.
Sometimes a great idea is pitched before its time. Ain't that right, Draper?
