• Ad Age, Tuesday, October 9, 2007 10:31 AM

AMC is hoping that "Mad Men" can do without Madison Avenue for at least a night. In the show's season finale, the net will create an opening that names DirecTV as the only sponsor of a commercial-free episode, and then roll a mini-documentary about the show's wrap party with the satellite company again as the only named sponsor.

While it seems odd for a drama set in the world of early 1960s agency culture to be ad-free for an evening, its backers say they hope they can eventually keep it that way all the time. And considering its audience demographics and viewing habits, along with its creator's inclinations, they may be able to pull it off. For instance, the show has not turned into the brand integration fest that it might have, largely because of its creator, Matthew Weiner.

"People hate product placement," Weiner says. "I find it to be an insulting thing to see advertising in the middle of the shows. I can see it, I can smell it and it makes me angry.' However, he adds, "to do a show about an advertising agency without products or to do a show that's about real life where you don't see the products--where people are pouring milk out of a plain-wrapped package--that's even more embarrassing."

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