Mad Men Mad

The typography of Mad Men feels right for the era - doesn't it? Mark Simonson takes a closer look and finds all is not as it should be - unless you have a Delorean and your name is Michael. J. Fox.

Gill Sans (c. 1930) is used a lot in the series, mainly for Sterling Cooper logo and signage. Technically, this seems fitting. The way the type is used - metal dimensional letters, generously spaced - looks right. The problem is that Gill was a British typeface not widely available or popular in the states until the 1970s. It's a decade ahead of its time in American type fashions. (Read more).

Michael Bierut (Pentagram) also writes a great article on how the world of Mad Men is so close and yet so far from where we are today, both from a design and cultural perspective (click here).