It’s time for marketers to dust off their Mad Men DVDs and give them another watch. Heinz has officially approved an ad campaign created nearly fifty years ago by Mad Men’s only, Don Draper. You heard that right – Heinz is actually running the ads at present. Although the client did not approve the concept in the series, it turns out that years later the concept is applicable and doing better than expected.
This doesn’t come as a surprise to us. Although creatives are always actively searching for new and fresh ideas, sometimes those same ideas stem from history, the past, or something that has already been executed. There’s no shame in digging up old ideas and recreating them as your own.
Jim Jarmusch said it best:
“Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Devour old films, new films, music, books, paintings, photographs, poems, dreams, random conversations, architecture, bridges, street signs, trees, clouds, bodies of water, light and shadows. Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work (and theft) will be authentic. Authenticity is invaluable; originality is non-existent. And don’t bother concealing your thievery – celebrate it if you feel like it. In any case, always remember what Jean-Luc Godard said: “It’s not where you take things from – it’s where you take them to.”
[MovieMaker Magazine #53 – Winter, January 22, 2004]”
Read the full article on AdWeek.