I loved the TV series Mad Men and especially the character Don Draper. They resonate with me as previously I worked for one of the large global Ad Agencies (referred to more than once in the series). I found these quotes by the fictional character that were published by Gareth Goh. [Update Feb 2021 – I just learnt from an article by Drayton Bird that Don Draper was actually based on a real ad guy called Draper Daniels, check out the article here]
1. “People tell you who they are, but we ignore it because we want them to be who we want them to be.”
2. “Success comes from standing out, not fitting in.”
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3. “You want some respect? Go out there and get it for yourself.”
4. “You are the product. You feeling something. That’s what sells. Not them. Not sex. They can’t do what we do and they hate us for it.”
5. “Nostalgia – it’s delicate, but potent.”
6. “Well, technology is a glittering lure. But there’s the rare occasion when the public can be engaged on a level beyond flash, if they have a sentimental bond with the product.”
7. “Change is neither bad nor good, it simply is.”
8. “If you don’t like what’s being said, change the conversation.”
9. “When a man walks into a room, he brings his whole life with him. He has a million reasons for being anywhere. Just ask him.”
10. “People want to be told what to do so badly that they’ll listen to anyone.”
11. “The day you sign a client is the day you start losing one.”
12. “Advertising is based on one thing: happiness. And do you know what happiness is? Happiness is the smell of a new car. It’s freedom from fear. It’s a billboard on the side of a road that screams with reassurance that whatever you’re doing is OK. You are OK.”
13. “We all try. We don’t always make it.”
14. “There will be fat years and there will be lean years, but it is going to rain.”
15. “Even though success is a reality, its effects are temporary.”
16. “I hate to break it to you, but there is no big lie, there is no system, the universe is indifferent.”
17. “You’ll tell them the next thing will be better because it always is.”
18. “Stop talking and make something of yourself.”
19. “You’re happy with 50%? You’re on top and you don’t have enough. You’re happy because you’re successful. For now. But what is happiness? It’s a moment before you need more happiness. I won’t settle for 50% of anything. I want 100%.”
20. “We’re going to sit at our desks and keep typing while the walls fall down around us because we’re creative – the least important, most important thing there is.”
