Mad Men's 'Blowing Smoke'

💼 Business Pressures and Client Relations

The episode opens with Don Draper facing the precarious financial future of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce (SCDP). A meeting with a potential client from Heinz regarding their beans, vinegar, and sauces business reveals the client's skepticism about SCDP's stability, delaying serious consideration for six to eight months. Don's attempt to expedite the process by offering a reduced commission is met with advice to leave sales to the account professionals, highlighting the agency's struggle for credibility.

📉 Financial Instability and Strategic Advice

Internally, the partners consult with Geoffrey Atherton, a business advisor. He stresses the urgent need to secure new business, particularly another tobacco account, to avoid appearing stagnant. However, a planned meeting with Philip Morris is abruptly canceled; the client had only scheduled it to exert leverage over their existing agency. Lane Pryce, the agency's finance manager, reveals the dire financial situation and proposes extending the bank loan, contingent on significant personal investments from the senior and junior partners. Pete Campbell confesses his inability to meet this financial demand, leading him to seek his own loan, which his wife, Trudy, vehemently opposes due to the agency's troubles.

💔 Personal Entanglements and Moral Compromises

Don encounters his former girlfriend, Midge Daniels, in the Time-Life Building. Her surprise at seeing him is revealed as disingenuous when her husband, Harry, inadvertently discloses she had sought him out. Midge confesses that both she and Harry are heroin addicts and that any money Don provides will fund their drug use. Don, disillusioned, offers Midge $120 in cash after she cannot cash a check. He rejects her advances and, upon returning home, contemplates discarding a painting Midge offered, ultimately spending the night staring at it, symbolizing his internal conflict.

📢 Public Stance and Professional Fallout

In a bold, unilateral move, Don places a full-page advertisement in The New York Times, publicly announcing his relief at no longer advertising tobacco products. This action enrages the other partners, leading to an immediate resignation from Cooper. Lane assesses the firm's finances, concluding that significant staff reductions are necessary to meet payroll, resulting in widespread firings within the creative department.

🌱 New Opportunities and Shifting Alliances

Amidst the firings, SCDP receives an inquiry from the American Cancer Society about launching an anti-cigarette campaign. While Pete expresses skepticism about the pro bono nature of the work, the partners recognize its potential prestige and the opportunity to connect with influential board members. Concurrently, Faye Miller informs Don that she and Atherton must withdraw their services due to Atherton's continued commitment to tobacco clients. However, this professional separation allows Faye and Don to pursue their relationship openly.

🏡 Personal Lives and Future Decisions

In parallel, Betty Draper receives an update from Dr. Edna Keener regarding Sally's progress in therapy. Betty's distress over Sally's perceived continued chaos leads Dr. Keener to refer her to a colleague, though Betty persuades her to reserve time for further discussion. Betty's anger flares upon learning of Sally's private conversations with Glen Bishop. This culminates in Betty suggesting to Henry Francis that they relocate to a new town, a proposal Henry readily accepts, leaving Sally heartbroken.

🗣️ The Title's Multifaceted Meaning

The episode title, "Blowing Smoke," operates on multiple symbolic levels:

• Literal Smoking: It directly references the pervasive act of smoking depicted throughout the episode, mirroring the agency's continued pursuit of tobacco clients.
• Romantic Idealization: It suggests a romanticized or obscured view of the agency's professional situation, perhaps a "haze" through which characters perceive their work and challenges.
• Deception and Self-Deception: Most critically, it refers to the act of saying untrue things to present oneself or one's endeavors in a more favorable light. This theme is exemplified by numerous characters throughout the episode.

🖼️ Artistic and Societal Parallels

Several cultural references enrich the episode's thematic tapestry:

• Land O'Lakes Packaging: Sally Draper's observation of the "infinite-loop motif" or Droste effect on the Land O'Lakes butter box, featuring an Indigenous woman holding the box, subtly touches upon themes of representation and cyclical imagery.
• Emerson Foote Parallel: Don's anti-tobacco stance and advertisement echo the real-life decision of advertising executive Emerson Foote, who famously resigned from McCann-Erickson due to his opposition to representing tobacco clients, highlighting a moral conflict within the advertising industry.
• Culinary Symbolism: The choice of La Caravelle, an esteemed French restaurant, for Don and Faye's date, signifies a return to sophistication and perhaps a deliberate move away from the morally ambiguous world of tobacco advertising, contrasting with the episode's central conflicts.

📜 References