Washington Post business section editors thought it might be fun to gather some present day ad people in a room and ask them about AMC’s “Mad Men” while taking their photos.
The writer on the job also had a good time, as evidenced by this nostalgia-laden missive.
In 1960, the ad industry was a Gotham-based priesthood. Advertisers bowed before the adman’s implied knowledge of consumer desire, bolstered by his expertly delivered rap, peppered with trendy pseudo-psychology.
Today, improved consumer research — including instant and deep feedback on the Internet — has sapped much of the priesthood’s power. Advertisers and consumers are both savvier, the Washington ad execs said.
That damn internet screws everything up. Someone pull the plug.
