We find Don Draper in a pensive mood in a cocktail lounge. He knows his agency is trying to get the Lucky Strike account. He surveys the room where most people are seen smoking. Don decides to ask the black busboy about his preferences in smoking. The man answers he is an Old Gold type of man, the reason being, he got them free while in the army; he has kept smoking that brand of cigarettes. At a time when health consciousness is being raised in the printed media, most people smoke.
Don goes to visit Midge, a graphic artist. It is clear Don and this beautiful woman know each other more intimately than we realize. Don decides to spend the night with her. We hear Don suggesting Midge about getting married. At the office, there is a party atmosphere. That night there will be a bachelor party to celebrate Peter Campbell's last days as a bachelor. Don, who is invited, declines to join them.
A new girl, Peggy, is shown around by Joan, the office manager, who has a few tips for the newly hired secretary for Don Draper. Among the things Joan suggests is to dress more attractively, and the address for her her doctor, a man that prescribes birth control pills for his patients. Peggy also is to bring some presents to the telephone operators at the agency since she will be working as a secretary to Don Draper.
Sal, one of the graphic artists, comes to show Don his work for Lucky Strike, something that Don is not totally convinced as it displays a male figure without a shirt enjoying a cigarette. Peggy announces Dr. Guttman and ushers her into the office. She has bad news, her research indicates that cigarette smoking is harmful to the health, but so far, not many deaths have been reported that are linked directly to it.
Don and Pete Campbell go to a meeting with Roger Sterling and a new client, Rachel Menken, who is representing her father, who owns the Menken stores, an account the agency wants to get. It is clear from the start Don and Rachel do not see eye to eye. To complicate things, Don cannot take being told by a woman how she feels about the presentation and walks out of the meeting. Roger suggests to Don to invite Rachel to cocktails to mend things.
The presentation to the Lucky Strike executives do not go according to plan. As a matter of fact, Don clashes with Lee Garner, the owner, and his son. They are about to go out when Don asks the senior Garner to tell him about the manufacturing of his product. He is giving a list of phases the cigarette is put through. The last thing the tobacco gets is to be toasted. Don jumps and goes to the blackboard where he writes what will be the slogan for the marketing of the cigarette.
The bachelor party goes well. The junior men of Sterling Cooper are in a happy mood. The drinks keep coming and some women join them. Pete tries to touch one of the women, who does not go along with his advances, moving away from him. After the party, a drunk Pete is seen knocking at Peggy Olson's apartment door. Her roommate is annoyed, but Peggy is more receptive and invites Pete to spend the night with her.
A suburban house is seen in darkness. It is Don Draper's home. He goes upstairs where he finds his wife Betty sleeping. Don wakes her up, when he kisses her. Betty was not sure whether Don would spend another night in town. He excuses himself for a moment. Betty follows him to a sleeping child's room where he looks as the girl in bed, obviously his daughter. Betty looks radiantly to the picture she sees.
It is 1960 in New York City. Don, the rising star at the Sterling Cooper advertising agency is the central figure in this original series that tries to capture its essence and the mood of that era like no other one about the subject. The creation of Matthew Weiner, who also contributed with the first episode. Directed with flair by Alan Taylor, the chapter gives a bird's eye view of things to come.
Jon Hamm is the perfect choice to play Don Draper. He is a handsome man who exudes manliness; it is clear he has a high libido, as already seen in the episode. Elizabeth Moss makes a good Peggy. Christina Hendricks does justice to her Joan. Vincent Kartheiser, another regular, shows he is a man to be reckoned with. John Slattery is Roger, one of the men in charge of the agency. Guests stars include John Cullum, Maggie Siff, Rosemary DeWitt and others, too many to enumerate.
This is the beginning of an extraordinary account about an era in one of America's formidable institutions, the advertising agency.
Don goes to visit Midge, a graphic artist. It is clear Don and this beautiful woman know each other more intimately than we realize. Don decides to spend the night with her. We hear Don suggesting Midge about getting married. At the office, there is a party atmosphere. That night there will be a bachelor party to celebrate Peter Campbell's last days as a bachelor. Don, who is invited, declines to join them.
A new girl, Peggy, is shown around by Joan, the office manager, who has a few tips for the newly hired secretary for Don Draper. Among the things Joan suggests is to dress more attractively, and the address for her her doctor, a man that prescribes birth control pills for his patients. Peggy also is to bring some presents to the telephone operators at the agency since she will be working as a secretary to Don Draper.
Sal, one of the graphic artists, comes to show Don his work for Lucky Strike, something that Don is not totally convinced as it displays a male figure without a shirt enjoying a cigarette. Peggy announces Dr. Guttman and ushers her into the office. She has bad news, her research indicates that cigarette smoking is harmful to the health, but so far, not many deaths have been reported that are linked directly to it.
Don and Pete Campbell go to a meeting with Roger Sterling and a new client, Rachel Menken, who is representing her father, who owns the Menken stores, an account the agency wants to get. It is clear from the start Don and Rachel do not see eye to eye. To complicate things, Don cannot take being told by a woman how she feels about the presentation and walks out of the meeting. Roger suggests to Don to invite Rachel to cocktails to mend things.
The presentation to the Lucky Strike executives do not go according to plan. As a matter of fact, Don clashes with Lee Garner, the owner, and his son. They are about to go out when Don asks the senior Garner to tell him about the manufacturing of his product. He is giving a list of phases the cigarette is put through. The last thing the tobacco gets is to be toasted. Don jumps and goes to the blackboard where he writes what will be the slogan for the marketing of the cigarette.
The bachelor party goes well. The junior men of Sterling Cooper are in a happy mood. The drinks keep coming and some women join them. Pete tries to touch one of the women, who does not go along with his advances, moving away from him. After the party, a drunk Pete is seen knocking at Peggy Olson's apartment door. Her roommate is annoyed, but Peggy is more receptive and invites Pete to spend the night with her.
A suburban house is seen in darkness. It is Don Draper's home. He goes upstairs where he finds his wife Betty sleeping. Don wakes her up, when he kisses her. Betty was not sure whether Don would spend another night in town. He excuses himself for a moment. Betty follows him to a sleeping child's room where he looks as the girl in bed, obviously his daughter. Betty looks radiantly to the picture she sees.
It is 1960 in New York City. Don, the rising star at the Sterling Cooper advertising agency is the central figure in this original series that tries to capture its essence and the mood of that era like no other one about the subject. The creation of Matthew Weiner, who also contributed with the first episode. Directed with flair by Alan Taylor, the chapter gives a bird's eye view of things to come.
Jon Hamm is the perfect choice to play Don Draper. He is a handsome man who exudes manliness; it is clear he has a high libido, as already seen in the episode. Elizabeth Moss makes a good Peggy. Christina Hendricks does justice to her Joan. Vincent Kartheiser, another regular, shows he is a man to be reckoned with. John Slattery is Roger, one of the men in charge of the agency. Guests stars include John Cullum, Maggie Siff, Rosemary DeWitt and others, too many to enumerate.
This is the beginning of an extraordinary account about an era in one of America's formidable institutions, the advertising agency.