Pitching America Summary

The chapter begins discussing the pilot episode of Mad Men. Bronfen writes, “While

Roger once more reminds all those present that ‘we’re no longer allowed to advertise that Lucky

Strikes are safe,’ the room begins to fill with the smoke of their own cigarettes.” (Bronfen 31)

Even with the new findings on the harmful effects of smoking, they continue to smoke and not

care about the consequences. Smoking was such a major part of their culture that the majority of

them did not even think twice about it. “For Lee Garner Sr. (John Cullum), the presupposition of

a national death drive is as unthinkable as his any acknowledgement that his cigarettes might be

dangerous. Retaliating Pete’s injury, he furiously asserts: I’m not selling rifles here. I’m in the

tobacco business. We’re selling America. The Indians gave it to us, for shit’s sake.” (Bronfen 34)

This quote displays Lee Garner Sr.’s ignorance, as the juxtaposition of smoking not being

harmful and America being “given” to white settlers shows his lack of education.

Bronfen ties together every episode in Mad Men. “The first sales pitch for Lucky Strike

thus contains both a self-reflexive comment on the illusion of mass manipulation and argument

for an emotional (indeed mythic) truth that can only be articulated through aesthetic

refiguration.” (Bronfen 39) In every sales pitch showed in Mad Men, this does not change. What

also remains constant is “while pitching a strategy to a client (in order either to keep an account

or to acquire a new one), the agency must make a bid for itself over and again as well.” (Bronfen

42) Moreover, Don constantly needs to pitch good ideas or else he risks losing a client or even

his job.

Bronfen gives numerous definitions of the word pitch. In regards to Mad Men, the pitch

is presenting an idea that seems it would be persuading for customers. Although the stakes are
high for Don and his coworkers, they are on the same team with the clients. As a good pitch will

benefit Don as it will also benefit their clients.

The next pitch described is the Kodak Carousel sales pitch. Don uses his own family

photographs in this pitch, in attempt to provoke the feeling of nostalgia for the viewers. “At the

same time, this pitch scene also thrives on the fact that it functions like a mise en abyme for the

time travel that Mad Men itself undertakes, and, in so doing, deftly refers to this TV show’s own

media strategy.” (Bronfen 56) A mise en abyme can be described as a story within a story.

Bronfen continues to describe various pitches in which display the truth of the advertising

business. Bronfen describes the American Airlines pitch as “a stage within a stage.” (Bronfen 58)

Sterling Cooper is already aware they have lost their account, but are trying to put on their best

show for this client. The Honda motorcycle pitch shows Don’s greed as he goes behind the backs

of his partners and attempts to trick the Honda owners.

Further displaying the horrors behind the advertising business is the Jaguar pitch,

in which Joan sleeps with Herb Rennet for her own self advancement but this also benefits

Sterling Cooper. “Pitted against the nebulous desire that Don invokes, we are made to privy to an

embarrassing sexual encounter that lays bare the sexism inscribed in an advertisement campaign

that implicitly equates cars with women’s bodies that remain out of control, that are always

speeding out of reach.” (Bronfen 63) Moreover, this scene ties in with the overall sexism present

in the show. The only way Joan can advance in the company is if she sleeps with someone and

that is true for many other of the women in the show. Another example of this is when Peggy

immediately goes to the doctor, during her lunch break on her first day of work, to get on birth
control. She does this assuming she is going to sleep with her coworkers, perhaps, to advance her

career.

The Hershey’s pitch is the first pitch Don brings up his painful past. Throughout the

entire show Don rarely discloses personal details about his childhood. This pitch is referred to as

an anti-pitch. Don pitching an anti-pitch is very out of character for him. “As he himself knows

only too well, like the reference to the death drive he pudiates regarding Lucky Strike cigarettes,

any open avowal of compensation as the motor behind mass market consumption would make

bad copy for a billboard.” (Bronfen 69) This does not end Don’s career but rather reveals to him

how his job plays such a huge role to his “existence.” (Bronfen 70)

The chapter ends discussing the final scene of Mad Men, in which is the final pitch for

the agency, as it is also the final pitch for the show. Don’s con game is exposed and to

summarize, this is the end of Sterling Cooper, as they have been outconned. “Matthew Weiner’s

show is about the fact that the persuasion remains on the surfaces of the images​— those

produced by his advertisers and those he himself produces.” (Bronfen 72) The completion of

Sterling Cooper, allows the series to come to an end, as well as Bronfen’s chapter.

Questions:

1. In this chapter, Bronfen describes a time when Don reveals his tragic past. This is very out of

character for Don, what do you think prompted him to do this?

2. In the intro of every episode, a man, who represents Don is seen falling to his death. After

reading Bronfen’s chapter, which spoils the ending of the show, do you think Weiner’s goal was

to foreshadow the downfall of Don?