Is the Doctor In?

Next to the tony world of Mad Men, the ads of Dr. Jonathan Zizmor seem refreshingly artless, even naïve. For nearly 30 years, the subway dermatologist has made the same basic appeal using a set of transparent devices: the before-and-after photo, the zero-interest payment plan, the cheerful rainbow. No coyness, no Don Draper-style sublimation, no hidden agenda.

But in his new commercial, which begins airing on local stations on Oct. 5, Zizmor breaks the fourth wall and draws attention to the construct of the Zizmor ad itself. Read more