Maidenform (Mad Men)

The episode begins with a montage of the female leads getting dressed before cutting to a Maidenform ad thrown onto Don Draper's (Jon Hamm) desk. The camera cuts to show Herman “Duck” Phillips (Mark Moses), who informs Don that Sterling-Cooper's client, Playtex, wants a new campaign more like the Maidenform “dream” campaign. As the meeting adjourns there is a brief scene in which Duck's ex-wife drops their two children off at the office before the camera changes again to another meeting. Peter Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser), Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss), and Salvatore Romano (Bryan Batt) are discussing the Clearasil account and Pete forces his preferred tagline ("Thanks Clearasil") onto Peggy's prom date idea.

The next scene begins on Memorial Day, 1962, during an event at a country club with Don talking to an acquaintance who mentions being a part of the firm that “took the fall for the Cuban Revolutionary Council” and the Bay of Pigs. While Don is elsewhere Betty Draper (January Jones) encounters Arthur Case (Gabriel Mann) from her riding lessons who claims to feel responsible for her changing her riding schedule and promises to stay out of the way before Betty suggests they remain friends. Later the host for the event asks all the servicemen in attendance to stand and be recognized and, although visibly uneasy, Don stands with the rest. The scene briefly changes to show Pete having dinner with his brother and their respective spouses, before returning to the club as a swimwear fashion show begins. Don claims to be needed at the office in order to get away, whereupon he calls Bobbie Barrett (Melinda McGraw), evidently having arranged to meet her ahead of time, but Bobbie cancels citing a rare opportunity to spend time with her son.

After leaving Don the focus changes back to Pete who arrives in the office to tell Peggy that his father-in-law loves the tagline for the Clearasil. Peggy replies that keeping the customer happy is the end goal and that he does his job and she does hers. Pete makes some small-talk before leaving.

The focus returns to Don in his office and Roger Sterling (John Slattery) enters to tell Don to meet with Duck for lunch and put their argument about the American Airlines account to rest. The scene changes again to Duck's office where his children inform him that his ex-wife is remarrying and leaving the family dog with Duck.

As Duck leaves his office the camera returns to Don's office as Peggy, Salvatore, Ken Cosgrove (Aaron Staton), Paul Kinsey (Michael Gladis), and Frederick Rumsen (Joel Murray) enter to discuss the Playtex campaign. Peggy finds out that the others had had an informal, after-hours, discussion about the campaign and Kinsey, who had not originally been assigned to it, pushes his way onto the account with his idea. Kinsey reveals his plan to compare women to Jackie Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe for the Playtex campaign, and, as they leave the office, Peggy tells Freddy she wants to be included in any future after-hours work.

Don stops by Duck's office rather than meeting him for lunch where he accuses Duck of pitching the client's idea to Don more than pitching Don's ideas to the clients. Duck insists that attempting to gain American Airlines business was worthwhile as it made people reconsider what they thought about Sterling-Cooper before asking Don if they can move on. Don agrees and leaves.

There is a brief scene where Bobbie reveals that she also has a daughter that Don didn't know about before the focus changes to Peggy who had just found out that the men on the account are holding a casting call for a Playtex model without telling her.

The following morning Betty is shown wearing a bikini purchased from the club fashion show and Don tells her she looks desperate.

Back in the office Peggy demands Joan Holloway (Christina Hendricks) ensure she is included in all the memos before seeming to ask why she isn't being included in general. Joan replies that Peggy is in “their country” and needs to “learn to speak the language”. When Peggy questions why Joan doesn't speak the way the men do Joan explains that she doesn't need to and advises Peggy to stop dressing like a little girl.

The scene cuts to Don pitching the Jackie/Marilyn campaign to the Playtex executives who both respond positively despite turning it down claiming to be satisfied with the ad campaigns they already have. They apologize for the “goose-chase” and leave, not before inviting the team for a night on the town on them.

There is a brief scene with Duck who considers drinking a bottle of liquor before abandoning his dog on the sidewalk outside the office. This is followed by a scene with Don and Bobbie where Bobbie reveals that women have been talking about Don's many affairs and ability in the bedroom. Don keeps telling her to “stop talking” but she keeps testing him about his reputation. This knowledge enrages Don who ties Bobbie to the bed and leaves.

The scene changes again and reveals the Playtex executives at a strip club with the creative team from Sterling-Cooper, minus Peggy Olsen who shows up a few minutes later dressed in a dress more revealing that any she has yet been seen in.

In the last scene of the episode Don is seen shaving, watched by his daughter Sally (Kiernan Shipka). Sally remarks that she “won’t talk” as to not disturb Don while shaving so he doesn’t cut himself. This statement reminds Don of the conversation he had with Bobbie about his reputation when he told her to “stop talking”. He seems to be caught off guard and is staring at himself in the mirror. Seemingly realizing that he is unhappy with who he has become and now that he has a reputation that he cannot undo. This clashes with his personal view of himself that he covertly does what he pleases. He becomes upset while staring at himself in the mirror. He then sits on the toilet while the camera zooms out.

Duck is holding a meeting with the creative department and Roger regarding Playtex wanting an ad campaign more similar to Maidenform’s “I Dreamed” campaign.

Duck’s children and ex wife arrive. Says they will have a fun weekend and that he has tickets to A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.

Peggy, Sal, and Pete have a meeting regarding Clearasil’s ad campaign. American Bandstand is referenced.

Don and Betty are at an event. Betty is talking to friends and The execution of the Rosenbergs is referenced. Don is also talking to a friend. Lem, Jones Associates, and Rogers and Cowan are referenced. They talk about the Cuban Revolutionary Council, The Bay of Pigs, John F. Kennedy, Versailles, and bomb shelters. During a speech a man who was a Rough Rider was honored.

Pete and Trudy and having lunch with his brother and his wife. They are having steaks and says “Let’s see how the Ottomaneli Brother’s have treated us”.

Pete and Peggy discuss their weekends. Pete says he saw The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance with John Wayne.

Roger tells Don that he has to have lunch with Duck to get over American Airlines.

The Creative department has a meeting about Playtex. Their pitch is that every woman wants to be either Jackie Kennedy or Marilyn Monroe. Peggy states she is neither. They say she is more like Irene Dunne or Gertrude Stein.

Don is with Bobbie when she mentions that she has a daughter. She proceeds to say that she attends Sarah Lawrence.

Bobbie tells Don that Jimmy is performing over the Memorial Day weekend at the Beverly Hills Supper Club, which would become the scene of one of the deadliest night club fires in US history. The fire also took place on Memorial Day weekend, exactly fifteen years after the events in this episode.

The episode was received positively by critics at the time. Noel Murray writing for The A.V. Club graded the episode an A- and observed the surprising aspects of the episode stating “I can’t imaging a more surprising start” and “I can’t imaging a more surprising turn”. He also discussed the interesting use of mirrors in the episode. However he criticized the episode saying that Betty fits into this episode “too neatly”.[1] Alan Sepinwall liked the episode but wasn't overwhelmed by it stating, “"Maidenform" is a less intense episode than last week's "The New Girl," but it features a number of typically beautiful, haunting "Mad Men" moments.”[2]

The episode was written by Matthew Weiner. It was directed by Phil Abraham. During an AMC interview Matthew Weiner describes the idea between the two sides of a woman, in this case being Jackie and Marilyn, stemming from the sort of groups that men place people and more specifically women into, whether it being the “mom, Madonna, the whore, the slut”. Saying “It’s really how we come across to other people”. Elisabeth Moss then describes how Peggy is supposed to “resemble the first women who stand up with the men and do their job”. She also describes the scene at the club, and how it is the point where Peggy realizes she will never be one of the boys. Weiner then discusses how the episode carries an idea of a blurred line between perception and reality. And how this is seen when Bobbie talks about her kids and when Betty wears a bikini. He also discusses how “Don is the only character to have a reputation” and how this is crushing to him.

Weiner said in 2019 that the episode is [3]

the first episode of the show where I was like, "This cannot be done on any other show." Because it’s so psychological and it’s about an idea, which is, "How am I perceived by other people?"

It’s thematically hammered over and over — in the ad campaign, in Don and Bobbie Barrett’s relationship, Don versus Sally, Betty in the bathing suit. At the time, I was like, "Is anybody going to understand this?" Because we’re telling a story here that probably looks like something about Don’s busted romance, and conflict in the office, and Peggy trying to get ahead. But what it really is, is "I look in the mirror and I don’t like what I see. What do other people see?" And that’s because I’ve created this false self.

Just that sentence that I gave you right there — I would have never thought that was the subject of a TV show if I hadn’t sat in a room with David Chase for four years. Even though it is the substance of our lives.

The episode was nominated for Outstanding Single Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series at the 61st PrimeTime Emmy Awards.

• "Maidenform" at AMC
• "Maidenform" at IMDb