by Christos Zabounis

Just as the ink had barely dried on the script of The Sopranos—one of the greatest television series of all time—Matthew Weiner picked up his pencil and wrote Mad Men. That was back in 2007. A week ago, I decided to retreat to a quiet island to complete the editing of an album commemorating the 30 years of the Aegean Team. Unconsciously—or rather subconsciously—I ended up rewatching the series, 18 years later. Back then, I waited for each new episode with the same anticipation that housewives reserve for Greek TV dramas. Now, I stayed up late, hooked like an addict, eager to finish each season. I know this parallel activity may have cost me a valuable share of my brainpower, but I must admit the intellectual nourishment made up for it.

Having some familiarity with the world of advertising—thanks to my connection with the ad agency Mc Victor & Hamilton—I couldn’t help but make comparisons with today. Our very own Don Draper, the central character of the series, is Thalis Pitoulis. Looking back at his book, which I had the honor of publishing, “No Entry for Advertisers”, I recognize both the similarities and the differences. Inspired by real-life ad men such as the “Golden Greek” of Madison Avenue, George Lois, or Draper Daniels (whose name inspired the character so convincingly played by Jon Hamm), this now-classic TV drama should be taught in communication schools—not only for its exemplary recreation of the 1960s but also for the deep psychological exploration of its characters. A voir.