"Maidenform" is the sixth episode of the second season of AMC's Mad Men television series. The episode features Herman 'Duck' Phillips and his struggles in and out of the workplace, beginning with the fallout over his failed bid for American Airlines' accounts after going against Don Draper to attempt to do so in the first place.
He realizes he's in the doghouse and needs to pull out a 'win' in order to get the respect of the office back, which doesn't make things easier when a lucrative Playtex account is poached by rival ad company Maidenform. On top of all this, Duck's ex-wife has plans to remarry, and his children openly pity him believing him to be a lonely man with nothing but his job to fall back on. Meanwhile, Peggy Olson feels left out as she is always cut out from major meetings and anything involving creative work. It makes Peggy feel as if she's simply the wrong gender for the type of work she does, and asks Joan Holloway for advice on how to break through the 'boys' club' mentality.
Joan's advice is rather simple: "You want to be taken seriously? Stop dressing like a little girl." On Duck's desperate advice, he urges Sterling-Cooper to meet with Playtex to pitch them new ideas for an ad campaign, yet Don doesn't see the point since Playtex is already successful where they are at Maidenform. Duck goes ahead with it anyway and Don gives a great ad man show for the Playtex execs, but as predicted they aren't interested in a new campaign since they are enjoying the best sales in the entire brassiere industry. As Don 'wins' another battle against Duck, Roger Sterling attempts to force the two men call a truce for the sake of the company, which they tentatively agree to.
He realizes he's in the doghouse and needs to pull out a 'win' in order to get the respect of the office back, which doesn't make things easier when a lucrative Playtex account is poached by rival ad company Maidenform. On top of all this, Duck's ex-wife has plans to remarry, and his children openly pity him believing him to be a lonely man with nothing but his job to fall back on. Meanwhile, Peggy Olson feels left out as she is always cut out from major meetings and anything involving creative work. It makes Peggy feel as if she's simply the wrong gender for the type of work she does, and asks Joan Holloway for advice on how to break through the 'boys' club' mentality.
Joan's advice is rather simple: "You want to be taken seriously? Stop dressing like a little girl." On Duck's desperate advice, he urges Sterling-Cooper to meet with Playtex to pitch them new ideas for an ad campaign, yet Don doesn't see the point since Playtex is already successful where they are at Maidenform. Duck goes ahead with it anyway and Don gives a great ad man show for the Playtex execs, but as predicted they aren't interested in a new campaign since they are enjoying the best sales in the entire brassiere industry. As Don 'wins' another battle against Duck, Roger Sterling attempts to force the two men call a truce for the sake of the company, which they tentatively agree to.
Maidenform, I wear Maidenform Flexees