What is the title of the first episode of Mad Men?

The first episode of Mad Men is titled “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes.” It premiered on AMC in the United States on July 19, 2007, introducing Don Draper, Peggy Olson, Roger Sterling, Pete Campbell, and the Sterling Cooper agency.

The episode is set in March 1960, when growing public concern about the health effects of cigarettes creates a problem for Don’s advertising team. Don must find a persuasive way to sell Lucky Strike cigarettes despite the lack of credible health claims. His solution, “It’s toasted,” turns a production detail into a memorable advertising slogan.

The title comes from the 1933 song “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes,” written by Jerome Kern and Otto Harbach. The phrase also reflects the episode’s focus on cigarettes, romance, deception, and the polished surface of early-1960s advertising culture.

Matthew Weiner wrote the episode and Alan Taylor directed it. The pilot won the Emmy for Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series, helping establish the show’s reputation for historical detail and layered character drama.