Promotions and vintage ads for Mad Men Season 2 DVD and Season 3 premiere

Season 2 Mad Men DVD - available July 14 (photo: Lionsgate)

An article in today’s New York Times by Stuart Elliott outlined the strategies utilized by Lionsgate, the company behind AMC’s Mad Men, to kick-off the Mad Men Season 2 DVD drop next Tuesday July 14th, and the upcoming premiere of Season 3 on August 16th.

The economy, it appears has a silver lining, at least for entertainment companies. With mainstream advertisers not willing (or able) to pony up for ad spots, it’s an open casting call for ad space, with the entertainment industry able to line up partnerships, obtain premium placement, and save on advertising expenditures.

Lionsgate, through marketing firm Initiative, has a four-point media blitz coming up in anticipation of its DVD release and Season 3 premiere, with strategic partnership deals with Vanity Fair, Variety, Banana Republic and Clorox.

The August issue of Vanity Fair will unveil a prominent advertorial “Go MAD for Mad Men Season 2 on DVD” that offers a sweepstakes called “MAD on Madison” with prizes including “a Mad Men-inspired weekend for two to New York City.

In anticipation of the Season 3 kick-off, Banana Republic will have window displays with Mad Men character images and styles, as part of a country-wide blitz, in addition to adverts in Variety, contests offering a walk-on part in an upcoming episode, detailed style guides for shoppers, and free iTunes Mad Men downloads.

Variety.com viewers will be able to peruse a 1960’s flip book, featuring archived Variety articles circa 1960s, interspersed with vintage commercials from the Mad Men era.

Finally, a special features section in the Season 2 DVD release will include vintage Clorox bleach commercials from the Clorox Corporation.

August issue, Vanity Fair  (photo: Vanity Fair/Banana Republic)

Lindy King is a workaholic who works at the marketing firm Symbaco.com.

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