Hasta La Ideas

What’s the next best thing to branded content? How about a champagne bucket of free press coverage promoting a branded restaurant event?

By partnering with more than two dozen NYC restaurants for Mad Men Dining Week (March 23-29), AMC is whetting the digital media consuming world’s appetite for the final seven episodes with tons of extra impressions.

If your retro-lunch taste runs in the direction of half a pastrami or corned beef sandwich and a slice of cheese cake, then The Carnegie Deli is the prix-fixe destination for you. On the other hand, if you anticipate the upcoming thawing week to be a rough go at the office, then Le Cirque’s straight-up option of two cocktails for $19.69 may stand as the logical, liquid lunch choice.

Either way, kudos AMC! This is one very effective way to play the 21st century media game. Mad Men returns for its final run April 5.

P.S. The AMC event will follow last night’s special $85 meal tribute at All’onda to Notorious B.I.G.