Not Every Ad Guy is a "Mad" Man (with Steve Pacheco)

What if sometime during the last season of Mad Men, Don Draper sorted out his life, gave up angst for more than just Lent, started to get off on his own cleverness and find satisfaction in the memorably creative commercials he created on the way to becoming an icon of the advertising industry. What if he actually became a Happy Grownup? What would he be like?He'd be like Steve Pacheco. Having embarked on his career path from the moment he watched his first 60 second spot on television, Pacheco’s long, varied and successful career, includes overseeing ads for two Fortune 500 companies and a dozen years of some of the most memorable Superbowl ads of all time.Now, as president of the American Advertising Federation, Pacheco is guiding this powerful industry in upheaval, faced ad blockers, declining attention spans and an AI revolution that could leave many creatives jobless, as well as figuring out how to reach multiple generations of customers and clients who have now splintered into niches, each with needs that are now more specific than ever. And yet, Steve Pacheco still loves the game, because he still retains the power to seduce, inspire, and acquire. Advertising is “about discovery,” says Pacheco. “A great ad that scores a direct hit as thrilling as ever” he says with a grin as wide as someone walking into a surprise birthday party. Don Draper never smiled this much in his entire life.