Mad Men: how much do you know about the iconic drama series?

From 2007 to 2015, 'Mad Men' was one of the hit dramas on American television. Seven seasons with 92 episodes marked the success of the AMC series, which is still considered one of the best ever.

The success of 'Mad Men' translated into many awards over the years. The famous TV series won 16 Emmys and 5 Golden Globes, including one for best television series.

For those who have never seen it, these are the basics: 'Mad Men' is set in New York in the 60s and deals with the events taking place in the Sterling Cooper advertising agency.

Among its protagonists is the advertising creative Don Draper, played by John Hamm. He is married to Betty, played by January Jones. Their relationship and family life are tragic but cannot be resolved outside of the conservative frameworks of the 1950s and early 60s.

Kiernan Shipka played the role of Don and Betty's daughter, Sally. Born in 1999, she had been forbidden by her mother to see the show herself. There was too much adult content in it.

Another important role is that of Peggy Olson, Don's secretary who turns out to have a lot of writing talent. She was played by Elisabeth Moss (in the photo), today the protagonist of another successful series, 'The Handmaid's Tale'.

Did you know that Don Draper is based on a real-life advertiser, Draper Daniels? The authors of 'Mad Men' were inspired by the famous 1960s ad man.

Image: AMC

According to the advertiser's wife, Myra Janco, Don Draper's fictional character is actually very different from the real publicist.

In fact, while Don Draper (played by John Hamm, photo) appears to us with a very complex character and a 'womanizing' personality, the wife of the the real Draper Daniels said he actually became a devoted husband and family man after they got married.

What the two Drapers do have in common, is that they come up with brilliant ad campaigns for iconic American brands. From soda to airlines, the goal of the Mad Men is to attract the biggest clients with the most original ideas.

In the 1960s, the biggest advertising agencies were on New York's Madison Avenue. Their stars were the ad men also described as Mad(ison Avenue) Men.

The pilot episode of 'Mad Men' was written as early as 1999 by screenwriter Matthew Weiner. He's also known for 'The Sopranos.'

Among the writers of 'Mad Men,' women were in the majority with at least nine authors present. This is clearly visible in the storylines of the series: the history of feminism and women's issues were important to the writers.

Imaginary Forces, the creators of the 'Mad Men' opening tune, were inspired by two famous film posters. The titles (as well as Don Draper himself) falling from the top of the screen were inspired by 'Vertigo' and 'North By Northwest,' both Alfred Hitchcock movies.

One of the most iconic commercials on American television, 'Hilltop' for Coca-Cola, is an important invention in the offices of 'Mad Men.'

Photo: Youtube

The series explains that the commercial came into being thanks to a brilliant idea by Don Draper. He finds himself in California, amidst flower children and meditation centers, after having a crisis of conscience. And that's where the 'Hilltop' campaign allegedly comes to him.

Image: AMC

But how much truth is there in what we saw in the series about this marketing campaign?

In real life, the creator of the ad was Bill Backer, the creative director of McCann Erickson who acquired Don's agency in the last season.

(Pictured: John Slattery as Roger Sterling)

Bill Backer, due to an unforeseen event, had to make a stopover on his flight to London and ended up waiting a while in Ireland. He spent hours in the company of strangers who did little else but drink the famous drink. And that's how the campaign with its famous jingle popped into his head.

Photo: Maximilian Bruck / Unsplash

The famous advertising jingle for 'Hilltop' was initially launched on the radio. Only after a visual concept had been added, with peaceful and happy people in a field, the commercial became a success.

Photo: H.R. Kocher / Unsplash

As in this case, stories of real life and fiction seamlessly mixed together in a drama series that was a bit of a history lesson amidst a lot of drama at the same time.

The reminders of the Cold War, American politics and the JFK assassination, famous ad campaigns, and the rise of women's rights were what made 'Mad Men' resonate so well with a large audience.

In the image, Robert Morse, the late actor who played Bertram Cooper of the Sterling Cooper firm

So what can we do when we feel like watching the show? Where is it streaming? With its appearance on the AMC+ platform, 'Mad Men' was taken off the Amazon Prime Video streaming service. For now, the rights to binge-watch this iconic series are exclusive to the channel where it was initially broadcast.