I hate to see a couple get divorced, especially over an end-aisle display for beer. That was the catalyst for the very surprising Betty Draper reaching her breaking point that made her kick hubby Don Draper’s lying, cheating ass to the curb in this past weekend’s enstalment of MAD MEN. Their positioning statement of “Where The Truth Lies” was never more evident as the second season really heats up this fall.

Duck Phillips is apparently on a roll and he enlists Don’s help in getting Heineken Beer, thanks to stealth thinking to set up some in-store retail, end-aisle displays for the beer import to really see who is the buying this premium brand. The client likes the idea and at a dinner party that Don & Betty host, Betty innocently comes up with a “trip around the world menu” and sure enough Heineken Beer is on the menu. Don, Duck and Roger get a laugh at how Betty’s purchase of that brand reaffirms their instincts. Betty is not amused and confronts Don about seemingly making a fool out of her in front of their friends and guest with what looks like some in joke she’s not a part of. Welcome to the advertising world’s little game of making the few feel included by exclusion. How pathetic, boring and unoriginal.

Now Betty really takes aim at Don after he trivializes her feelings over this and she hits him with the heavy artillery about messing around with Jimmy Barrett’s wife Bobby. Of course Don denies it and he does a great job being stone faced all through Betty’s accusations. He doesn’t flinch one bit, but Betty impressively stands her ground and doesn’t give in or let Don intimidate her into seeing or accepting his side. Betty did add a new wrinkle to MAD MEN when she asks Don, “How could you have an affair with her? She old!” Put Ageism down on the list next to sexism, chauvinism, racism, anti-semitism and misogynism as a social staple back in the 1960s.

Betty goes on an evidence jag looking through all of Don’s belongings to find dirt and comes up empty. She tries reaching out to Don, who’s sleeping on the couch and doesn’t get what she needs from him. The next day Betty sees the ill-fated TV spot for UTZ Potato Chips with hack Jimmy Barrett, that set this sequence of events into motion and Betty calls Don at the office and she tells him not to come home! That’s how you do a smackdown! Betty continues to impress me as the most surprising character who has really shown that she’s no trophy wife and where the truth really lies with her.

And speaking of lying, Father Gill (Colin Hanks) guilts Peggy Olsen into doing a pro bono project for his church’s Catholic Youth Organization’s dance. When Peggy gets pushback from the church, she’s miffed that Father Gill didn’t stand up for her recommendations more. So when Peggy goes in to the church committee rife with “church ladies” she persuades them to see her side. When the good father picks up his flyers at Sterling-Cooper, he tells Peggy that there is nothing that she can’t tell him or the church. Peggy pulverizes him with politeness and doesn’t cave to his inquiries. I doubt the guilt trip he would lay on her could compare to what she is doing to herself inside over having Pete Campbell’s illegitimate baby. Check out next week’s episode to see it hit the fan over this!

After Harry Crane has to get chewed out because dropped the ball when he booked media time in advance for a client on a show that had a perceived negative reference to the client’s product. Roger Sterling tells Harry to figure out a way to pick up the slack himself and in sweeps beautiful Joan Holloway who volunteers to help him by reading scripts and proceeds to make Harry look good in front of Roger who been getting approving calls from the clients. Joan also charms the daylights out of a visiting media client. Thinking she’s getting it done, Joan was digging her new work and was obviously very good at it. Now based on Harry’s department clicking on all cylinders, Roger then lets Harry hire a full time script reader (a man) and Joan once again sees where the truth lies for her, in the form of how double standards apply to woman in the workforce.

JOEL KIRSTEIN is a Creative Director who has been in the Ad Agency trenches for 25 years and he believes in doing pro bono work, in spite of the potential drawbacks.

Article Tags: "Where The Truth Lies" | especially over an end-aisle display for beer | I hate to see a couple get divorced | MAD MEN - Episode 8
Filed under: Broadcast, Creative, Entertainment, OUT-OF-HOME, SHOPPER MARKETING, Television, advertising