A recent episode of the stylish and popular series, “Mad Men,” which depicts a fictional, mid-1960s New York advertising agency (Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce), forcefully illustrated a point that lawyers, law firms and companies often overlook. No, it had nothing to do with the perils of philandering, abject sexism or three-martini lunches. But it showed just how easy it is to overlook the future stars and potentially major clients who are in your midst today, but are flying under the proverbial radar.
In the episode, the agency, which derived almost 80 percent of its revenue from one client, cigarette manufacturer Lucky Strike, engaged in a pitch to land a new account with a relative upstart, American Honda Motor Co. After overcoming some embarrassing and disgraceful jingoism in its ranks, the firm did not get the prize account (Honda’s motorcycle line). But, through a bold strategy employed by Don Draper, the creative director, it was awarded the advertising work for Honda’s nascent automobile line, which hardly seemed like a win to some.
