Don Draper, Joan Harris, and the other perfectly coiffed characters of Mad Men are set to return to the small screen on Sunday with the season six premiere of AMC's popular series. Apart from its enduring success with television audiences, the highly stylized show has been a source of continual inspiration for event planners, who have been bringing '60s entertaining staples such as deviled eggs and cigarette girls to events for the past several years. Whether you're planning a big '60s themed gala this spring or a last-minute viewing party this weekend, here are tips for infusing your event with Mad Men-style flair.
At Diffa's Dining by Design in Chicago in 2008, Eastlake Studio's table for Geiger International had a Mad Men vibe, featuring ashtrays, martini glasses, and a decidedly retro wood veneer.
In late January, Jodi Moraru of Evoke designed and planned a Mad Men-inspired corporate event at the National Building Museum in Washington. A lighting projection on the floor evoked the image of a falling man from the show's opening credits, while a black-and-white backdrop was inspired by Roger Sterling's office on the show.
At the Washington event, servers in retro-style uniforms—and with 1960s-style hairdos— shook up martinis at mirrored bars.
A cake at the Washington event was decked with iconic images from the show, including a suit and two martini glasses.
Following the Global Business Travel Association's annual conference in Boston last July, participating company Carlson Wagonlit Travel hosted an after-party at Symphony Hall. The event, produced by Kuoni Destination Management, had a "Thrive in Retro" theme inspired by Mad Men. Models dressed in sleek, '60s-style outfits carried doily-adorned cocktail trays of Manhattans and sloe gin fizzes.
Snacks also matched the retro theme at Carlson Wagonlit Travel's after-party. Served in spoons, on square plates, and in decorative bowls, menu items included deviled eggs, Caesar-salad spring rolls, and B.L.T.-stuffed tomatoes.
To introduce brand changes to employees, clients, and partners last August, Canteen turned Fulton's on the River in Chicago into a celebratory setting that would have made Don Draper feel right at home. Kehoe Designs handled decor, creating mod lounge areas in the company's signature colors of gray, lime, and emerald green. Each table held prop ashtrays and popcorn and truffle chips in mini fryer baskets.
Passed snacks at the Canteen event included mini burgers with truffle aioli, cheddar, and onion straws. The retro-style bites were garnished with sandwich picks and cornichons.
When throwing its annual Best New Chefs event, Food & Wine magazine usually opts for a new or recently opened location. But in April 2010, a Mad Men-inspired theme drove organizers to select a classic New York institution: the Four Seasons Restaurant. Organizers dressed the space with hanging feathered orbs, candles, and pink lighting.
At the Best New Chefs event, a centerpiece of blue plumage dressed up the main bar.
Macquarie Private Wealth hosted a Mad Men-inspired cocktail party in Toronto in the fall of 2011. Kim Graham and Associates produced the event and incorporated the 1960s into every aspect, including the menu. Appetizingly Yours served hors d'oeuvres on picture frames so that guests could see descriptions of each dish. The baked new potatoes were made to look like deviled eggs, a popular dish in the 1960s.
Bartenders and servers wore blazers and bow ties to match the Mad Men theme.
At AMC's public screening of the show's third-season premiere in Times Square in 2009, staffers dressed as cigarette girls passed out popcorn to costumed fans.
