Follow us on Google News
Get the latest updates directly in your Google News feed
When a series wraps up with an ending so great that people are still chatting about it today, it’s clear it did something right.Mad Menwas one of the most acclaimed shows ever, pulling in huge ratings over its seven seasons. But is it the final episode? It was arguably one of the best conclusions ever, brilliantly blending fiction with reality.
But for this to work out perfectly, a lot of planning went into it. The best part? It all happened through a partnership with Coca-Cola, not a purchase as many people thought. The result was a scene that was super simple but nailed the essence of the protagonist and the advertising world flawlessly.
TheMad MenFinale Took A Lot Of Work
For anyone who hasn’t followed the series,Mad Menis about the advertising executive Don Draper in the 60s, navigating the overwhelming ambition of some of his colleagues. The character’s journey has received tons of praise over the years, but the ending was truly the cherry on top.
In the last episode, to wrap up the show, the protagonist is seen sitting in a meditative yoga pose before thescenetransitions to Coca-Cola’s iconic “I’d Like to Buy the World a Coke”commercial. The implication is that Draper was the one who created the ad that became famous in the ’70s.
‘We’re both these sort of bastard stepchildren’: Jon Hamm’s Remarks on Mad Men and Breaking Bad is a Cruel Joke That Studios Will Never Forget
In an interview onJimmy Kimmel Live,Jon Hamm— the actor who brought the character to life — shared some insights about this particular scene:
Matt Weiner, who writes the show, had seized on this idea around season four.There was a couple of years process of clearing that with Coca-Cola.
Jerry Seinfeld, one of the creators ofSeinfeld, even weighed in on the series finale, admitting that he wasn’t too thrilled with how his sitcom wrapped up and compared it toMad Men(viaIndieWire)
I feel ‘Mad Men’ was the greatest. A lot of people like the ‘Bob Newhart’ one. ‘Mary Tyler Moore’ was OK. ‘Mad Men’ was the greatest final moment of a series I’ve ever seen. So satisfying. So funny.
At first, it’s easy to assume that getting this idea off the ground involved a ton of bureaucracy, especially since Hamm mentioned that it took time to orchestrate. The finale ofBreaking Bad, for example, was quite a challenge to pull off. Because of Coca-Cola,Mad Menmight have been even more complicated than that.
However, it turns out it wasn’t as difficult as one might think — at least, not in terms of rights.
Coca-Cola Reacted To TheMad MenFinale
It took time, but the truth is that Coca-Cola didn’t have to pay anything for the visibility of the commercial inMad Men. AMC simply asked the brand for permission to use the ad, and they seemed to really love the result.
Elisabeth Moss on the One Mad Men Scene Where Jon Hamm Made Her Cry for Real: ‘He held onto my hand and didn’t let go’
A spokesperson for the company issued a statement, saying it was a brilliant idea to let many people experience the magic of watching the commercial in the context of its creation and the era, especially since the series ended in 2015 (viaYahoo)
We’ve had limited awareness around the brand’s role in the series’ final episodes, and what a rich story they decided to tell. Mad Men is one of the most popular TV shows of all time, and ‘Hilltop’ is an iconic piece of Coca-Cola history.
Also, in an interview withSlate, Bill Backer, the creator of the commercial, expressed his pleasure with the idea and mentioned that he didn’t mind the series making it seem like the character was the one who came up with it.
The company had no prior knowledge of how the commercial would be integrated into the series, but it turned out to be such a brilliant idea that it’s fantastic to see that the brand itself believed in it, trusted the vision, and took the risk.
Mad Menis available for streaming on Apple TV+.
Catherine Delgado
Articles Published :141
A geek enthusiast of fantasy and sci-fi, Catherine is also a screenwriter, completely obsessed with pop culture. Graduated in Audiovisual Production, she creates characters and writes about fictional universes when not writing articles, binge-watching shows, or reading sagas.
