Overview
Smash Design partnered with the American Advertising Federation to build a custom stage prop for a Mad Men-themed awards ceremony: a 20-foot vintage-style television that needed to look authentic and actually function as a working display, not just look like one from a distance.
Process
We designed the structure to match the look of a classic 1960s television while engineering the frame to support its scale and the internal components inside it, then built the body from materials durable enough to handle transport and setup without shifting once it was on stage. A working projection screen went inside the frame, so the prop genuinely functioned as a television during the ceremony rather than just appearing to. The exterior finishes came last — detail work that gave the piece an authentic retro look matching the Mad Men theme throughout.
Results
The finished television became the focal point of the ceremony, and the working screen added a functional element that raised the overall production value of the event beyond a static backdrop. Projects like this are exactly where Smash Design fits — bridging the gap between a bold creative concept and something that actually gets built and works on stage.