“… I realized, here was my chance to be someone who could sleep at night, because I know what I’m selling doesn’t kill my customers.”
- Don Draper, 1965

Four seasons of Mad Men have given us a glimpse of how Madison Avenue dealt with (or ignored) an increasingly conflicted 1960s America, with growing civic-mindedness, civil unrest and social activism.  This past season (set in 1964 – 65), characters have grappled with husbands being shipped off to Vietnam, racist clients, “troubled” children, rampant sexism and an overall skepticism of the American Dream.  Matthew Weiner has brilliantly woven scenes into the series which illustrate the mindset of Americans during that era regarding issues such as the environment and health.

The first example of this includes a Draper family picnic in Season 2 (1962).  The Drapers picnic in a beautiful park, and afterward leave all of their trash strewn around the hillside.  I cringed when watching this scene.  In the early 1960s, the environmental movement was in its infancy and was far from top of mind for most Americans.  In order to raise awareness of the growing pollution problem, on Earth Day in 1971, the Ad Council and Keep America Beautiful launched the iconic “Crying Indian” campaign in an effort to stop pollution.

And of course, just this past season, the American Cancer Society called  Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce regarding an anti-smoking campaign after Don composes a break-up letter to tobacco after being dumped by Lucky Strike (read the full text of Don’s letter here). After reading the letter, which is run as a full page ad in the New York Times, the American Cancer Society contacted the firm to request pro bono work.

A couple of partners scoffed at the idea of “doing work for free,” but Don Draper recognized the opportunity to put the firm’s work out there, build morale and keep things moving forward. Ken Cosgrove noted that “there’s a lot of bigwigs on that board!” I’m looking forward to seeing if Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce is awarded their first pro bono assignment next season.

So what’s next? Can we expect to see recycling bins, no smoking signs, anti-war memorabilia and hippies around the Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce offices? Stay tuned…