I Always Slept Better Knowing Doctors Smoked

I’ve recently started rewatching Mad Men, and honestly, it’s just as brilliant the second (or third) time around. What I love most about the show isn’t just the retro aesthetic, the cutting dialogue, or the messy, fascinating characters. It’s the focus on ideas—the why of marketing and advertising. Yes, it’s fictional, but there’s a truth in how the show portrays the power of ideas to shape culture and drive desire. Watching Don Draper pitch his heart out in that smoky boardroom feels more relevant than ever, even in a world where we’ve swapped cigarettes for smartphones.

It got me thinking about how marketing has evolved—or devolved—over time. Somewhere along the way, we seem to have lost the art of marketing as an ideas-driven discipline. Instead of creating marketing people, we’re churning out HubSpot experts, Instagram analytics ninjas, and Google Ads technicians. Don’t get me wrong; tools matter. But marketing isn’t about tools—it’s about creating desire.

The Doctor Smokes Camel

The title of this post, "I Always Slept Better Knowing Doctors Smoked," is a nod to one of the most iconic (and horrifying) ad campaigns in history. Back in 1946, R.J. Reynolds launched a campaign with the slogan, “More doctors smoke Camels than any other cigarette.” They arrived at this “fact” by handing out free cartons of Camels to doctors and then asking them which brand they preferred. Was it manipulative? Yes. Was it wildly unethical by today’s standards? Absolutely. But was it effective? You bet it was.

This campaign worked because it tapped into a powerful insight: trust. People trusted their doctors in 1946, just as they do now. By aligning their product with that trust, Camel didn’t just sell cigarettes; they sold peace of mind. Marketing, at its core, is about understanding what people want and finding a way to connect with that desire. That’s as true now as it was then.

Fast forward to a more recent example, and we see a similar approach with Grey Goose vodka. Grey Goose is a fully manufactured brand, originating from the vodka region of France (yes, that’s a thing). What’s fascinating is how they not only created a premium product but also established a behavior: ordering vodka by name. They did this by hiring beautiful women to visit bars, strike up conversations with guys, and when asked what they wanted to drink, they would respond, “Grey Goose and orange juice…and make sure it’s Grey Goose.” This wasn’t just marketing—it was cultural engineering, and it worked brilliantly. Today, ordering vodka by name feels second nature, and Grey Goose remains synonymous with premium quality.

The Timelessness of Chasing Cool

One of the most important books I’ve ever read on this topic is Chasing Cool by Noah Kerner and Gene Pressman. It’s not a new book, but its lessons are timeless. What makes it stand out is that it’s not about tools, trends, or tactics. It’s about ideas. It’s about understanding the deeper “why” behind what makes something resonate with people.

Chasing Cool dives into how certain brands and individuals become “cool” by staying true to themselves rather than chasing the next big thing. It’s filled with case studies that highlight the importance of authenticity, creativity, and patience. Unlike the marketing advice you’ll find in your LinkedIn feed today, it’s not about short-term hacks or how to optimize a landing page for conversions. It’s about creating something with substance—something that people will remember long after the campaign ends.

I’ve said this on podcasts before, and I’ll say it again: we don’t make marketing people anymore. We make HubSpot experts. Or Mailchimp wizards. Or whatever other “it girl” tool is dominating the moment. Tools are great, but they’re just that—tools. They’re a means to an end, not the end itself.

What We’ve Lost

What’s missing today is the emphasis on big ideas. We’ve become so obsessed with data and optimization that we’ve forgotten the human element of marketing. Don Draper understood that. In one of my favorite scenes from Mad Men, he pitches the Kodak Carousel with a simple yet devastatingly powerful insight: nostalgia. He doesn’t talk about the technical specs or the product’s features. He talks about how it makes people feel.

That’s what marketing is supposed to do. It’s supposed to make you feel something. It’s supposed to connect with you on a deeper level. When done right, it’s not about pushing a product; it’s about creating desire.

Bringing It All Together

Rewatching Mad Men and rereading Chasing Cool has reminded me of something important: the best marketing isn’t about being louder or flashier than the competition. It’s about understanding your audience, tapping into their emotions, and telling a story that resonates. It’s about the “why” and the “how,” not the tools or the data.

If you’re in marketing, I challenge you to think about the ideas behind your campaigns. Are you creating desire, or are you just ticking boxes? Are you making something memorable, or are you just chasing trends? Let’s get back to the fundamentals of what makes marketing great.

And in case you’re wondering, yes—I’ll be writing more about this soon. Next up: how to make even the most boring brands fun. Because if Camel could make cigarettes desirable, there’s no excuse for your brand to be boring.