Mad Men... Series Finale (Spoliers)

Also, I just read that the firm that made the actual Coke ad WAS McCann Erickson!!

"I'd Like to Buy the World a Coke" had its origins on January 18, 1971, in a London fog.

Bill Backer, creative director on the Coca-Cola account for the McCann Erickson advertising agency, was flying to London to meet up with Billy Davis, the music director on the Coca-Cola account, to write radio commercials with two successful British songwriters, Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway, to be recorded by the New Seekers, a popular British singing group.

The heavy fog in London forced the plane to land in Shannon, Ireland. Passengers had to remain near the airport in case the fog lifted. Some of them were furious about their accommodations. By the next day, Backer saw some of the most irate passengers in the airport cafe. Brought together by a common experience, many were now laughing and sharing stories over snacks and bottles of Coca-Cola. Backer wrote of the scene:

"In that moment saw a bottle of Coke in a whole new light... began to see a bottle of Coca-Cola as more than a drink that refreshed a hundred million people a day in almost every corner of the globe. So began to see the familiar words, 'Let's have a Coke,' as more than an invitation to pause for refreshment. They were actually a subtle way of saying, 'Let's keep each other company for a little while.' And knew they were being said all over the world as sat there in Ireland. So that was the basic idea: to see Coke not as it was originally designed to be -- a liquid refresher -- but as a tiny bit of commonality between all peoples, a universally liked formula that would help to keep them company for a few minutes."

When he finally arrived in London, Backer told Billy Davis and Roger Cook what he had seen in the airport café. After he expressed his thoughts about buying everybody in the world a Coke, Backer noticed that Davis's initial reaction was not at all what he'd expected and asked him, "Billy, do you have a problem with this idea?"

Davis slowly revealed his problem. "Well, if I could do something for everybody in the world, it would not be to buy them a Coke."

Backer responded, "What would you do?"

"I'd buy everyone a home first and share with them in peace and love," Davis said.

Backer said, "Okay, that sounds good. Let's write that and I'll show you how Coke fits right into the concept."

Don totally did the coke commercial. I think his metamorphosis started when the man st therapy was crying and Don went and hugged him. Don wanted to make this man feel better. He changed from being so selfish. He changed his whole outlook. He wants to make the world feel better….. with a coke… Don went home …. and wanted to make the world a better place…. so now he's taking care of his kids and doing great at work…. and volunteering at the soup kitchen….

The waitress story was a complete and utter waste of time. Really makes me mad that they did that when it went no where and there are so many more interesting characters that deserved more air time.

how bout Don giving his cargo the younger Don lookalike? and the speeding through the desert? what was that all about?

I think that was the Dick persona, not Don.

I guess I am very skeptical of human nature.  At first I thought Don was really being kind and compassionate when he hugged that poor man who had the sad dream. Then I saw the Coke commercial at the end  and I decided Don was hugging the man and crying for a purely selfish reason. 

I think Don was completely lost and ready to kill himself. He was completely burnt out with advertising and searching for something meaningful in life. He tried the touchy feely retreat, but he thought it was pretty silly. He reluctantly went back into the group session because he really didn't have any other choice. 

I think the man's dream struck a chord with Don because the dream represented the advertising world. Why did that man sit in the refrigerator and never get chosen? I think Don thought if the man had just had a good advertising man, such as Don, he would have gotten chosen.  In Don's mind, it's all in the marketing of the product.

I think Don was hugging the man and crying because Don suddenly realized he really didn't want to drop out of the advertising world after all, he just needed some fresh inspiration. 

i think when he got back to the ad agency, he used his experience at the retreat to tap into the popular culture of the time and sell a product. I don't think his experience at the retreat changed him at all.

My impression was that it was empathy also. Although this man was very opposite of Don, it seemed like it was the first time he heard someone express what he was feeling inside -- that fleeting feeling of being apart of something, but then then the door shuts and you are left in darkness again. It struck such a chord in Don, that he instantly felt a connection with the man and went to hug him. It was his emotional breakthrough and allowed him to ultimately find peace and his creativity again.

Don - I agree he did feel empathy, he did find some measure of peace, and he did create the Coke commercial.  I really thought he would throw away his Don Draper persona and become Dick Whitman.

Stan and Peggy - I do think there was a deep friendship, and Stan was always attracted to Peggy. I was hoping she would continue with her coworker's brother-in-law with whom she was planning the spontaneous trip to Paris.

Joan - I never liked her character too much, but I'm glad she's not stuck with that jerk. I could have seen her with Roger if things had not worked out for him with Marie.

CaDoodlebug....no, I didn't notice Peggy had put cats on the octopus picture....LOL!...