#TBT ‘Mad Men’s’ Belle Jolie Lipstick Ad
We have a love-hate relationship with vintage beauty ads. The sketches are playful and often quite beautiful, but the campaigns and slogans can be a bit sexist. On AMC’s Mad Men, the Sterling Cooper office reaches a turning point when working on the fictional Belle Jolie account in season one.
During a focus group where Peggy Olson and a group of office secretaries are testing Belle Jolie lipsticks, Peggy refers to a trash can full of blotted tissues as a “basket of kisses.” She’s immediately brought on board to work with the copywriters on the campaign. The phrase “Mark Your Man” is a big more forward-thinking for the time (instead of other campaigns that may have implied dolling yourself up to look great for your man). Ultimately, it doesn’t completely impress the client, but ad wizard Don Draper comes to the rescue. “Every woman wants choices, but in the end, none wants to be one in a box of a hundred—she’s unique,” says Draper. “You are giving every girl who wears your lipstick the gift of total ownership.” Lipstick as empowerment. We like it.
