Communications@Syracuse creates ‘Mad Men’ infographic
A group in a Syracuse University master’s program created a graphic to help inform viewers following the series finale of the AMC show “Mad Men” on Sunday night.
The visual, created by the marketing team for Communications@Syracuse, also works to raise awareness of the new program which will launch in July, said Andrew Hermalyn in an email, a student enrolled in the Communications@Syracuse program. The graphic depicts the evolution of the ad agency featured in the show.
Claire Smalley, senior graphic designer, and Betsy Plowman, director of copy and content at 2U, an educational technology company, designed and created the infographic through a partnership with the program.
“The team wanted to represent the changes within the agency over the seasons and how characters moved and developed based on the work they did,” said Hermalyn in an email, executive vice president and general manager of Syracuse University for 2U. “The goal was to remain completely within the structure of the agency, and not include anything from the characters’ personal lives.”
The team created modern, flat illustrations to represent characters and products from the show and paired them with photography reminiscent of the time period “Mad Men” is set in. The color palette was chosen based on cosmetics from the 1960s, when the show takes place, said Hermalyn in an email.
He added that “Mad Men” was successful because it is set during a time of change in the country. From design to fashion to politics, the 1960s were a developmental age in the U.S. The design and marketing that emerged from that time period are still an inspiration to marketers today, and are also a “source of nostalgia to people everywhere,” Hermalyn said in an email.
“Creating an infographic brings that time into our time — showing the line of the story in a medium that is contemporary,” Hermalyn said in an email. “In addition, one of the focuses in the Communications@Syracuse program is advertising.”
Published on May 20, 2015 at 10:48 pm
Contact Jacob: jagedets@syr.edu
