Thursday, July 15, 2010
HE'S ON A HORSE: 5 years ago, it would be hard to think of a brand with a more dated and passe image than Old Spice. However, first with NPH giddily sending up Doogie Howser, and now, with the Old Spice Guy (who has some questions for you), it's a revitalized brand. And I don't think I've ever seen a brand so cleverly use the combination of YouTube and Twitter, with selected tweets directed toward @oldspice getting custom video responses on YouTube from Old Spice Guy, with those getting responses including George Stephanopoulos, Starbucks, the Huffington Post, and Linda Holmes. There are tons more, including a guy who managed to convince the Old Spice Guy to propose to his girlfriend for him. Offer your best.
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Oh, yes. These are brilliant ads, as were their Bruce Campbell ads a few years back. But we also ought to talk about how they've helped create this whole new product category in men's body wash -- and whether scents like Swagger or Dark Temptation are draws.
ReplyDeleteYeah, so far I can't do better than the sound of the candles rolling in in the proposal. Christina's not much of a TV watcher so was kind of unaware of this whole phenomenon, but last night I showed her a bunch and she's hooked. It's a ridiculously clever campaign.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I love that my fellow comic book fans are getting behind the idea of Isaiah Mustafa to play Luke Cage, Hero For Hire.
Yeah, it's pretty remarkable how body wash (for both men and women) has largely elbowed out bar soap in pharmacies and the like, and the massive cost differential between the two. And, ah, Axe--smells like douchebag!
ReplyDeleteGod, I hate Axe in body wash (or anything) - husband brought some home not realizing what it was, now the near-full container sits on the edge of the tub, waiting to be tossed. Would love a recommendations for a men's body wash that smells good, particularly as I now have a tween.
ReplyDeleteHe must have been on the clock for hours yesterday just standing there in that towel performing those responses while other folks hurried to upload them and other other folks hurried to write the next ones. It's just a fun idea well executed, and when it comes to ads, you can't hope for much more than that. And the "TICKETS ARE NOW DIAMONDS" ads that spawned this phenomenon are worthy of the cult status.
ReplyDeleteI do love bar soap, though.
He made the librarians swoon: http://bit.ly/b43GDI Why, yes, I'd eat peanut butter with you, Mr. Mustafa.
ReplyDeleteBar soap dries my skin like nobody's business, so the rise of body wash was a welcome thing for me.
ReplyDeleteDon't laugh, Genevieve, but I'm a dude who likes the Philosophy line of body wash, especially in Cinnamon Bun. Not the manliest man thing in the world, but if it helps steer said tween away from things like Axe it's worth a shot. (You can find it at Sephora and at Amazon.)
ReplyDeleteThis one totally melted my heart: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvuYcbgZl-U
ReplyDeleteSpacewoman heckles me endlessly for using Suave Body Butter Coconut Scrub at the gym. I bought it the first time because (a) I needed a scrub because it's a pain to bring bar soap to the gym; (b) my YMCA gym's free shower gel smells and feels like axle grease; and (c) this was the cheapest thing available at Walgreen's. But I keep using it because it smells like coconut and is exfoliating. And did I mention cheap? But I still use bar soap at home.
ReplyDeleteEleven hours, it appears: http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/how_old_spice_won_the_internet.php
ReplyDeleteThank god it's over; I got so burned out yesterday trying to catch up to them all!
That's awesome.
ReplyDeleteHe responded to our LA Times Image post on him, which delighted many in the building. I am also fully entertained by his back and forth with Alyssa Milano, who made a video response to him, and he also sent her flowers in real life.
ReplyDeleteAnd lastly, Old Spice Guy video responds to a tweet from the actor who plays Old Spice Guy. It's getting very meta in here. http://www.youtube.com/user/oldspice#p/u/112/u-qpEUOtLk8
ReplyDeleteI love woodsy smells, like sandalwood or cedar for men. But I'm no help in finding body wash as I'm devoted to bar soap.
ReplyDeleteGet thee to a Lush - they have wonderful non-drying bar soap. If'n you ever want to try some again.
ReplyDeleteI use Dove, so I guess technically it's a "moisture bar" or WeverTF they call it. I've always suspected that whole "not soap" thing was marketing hooey anyway. I call it soap. Anyway I like the cucumber and green tea scent. I actually usually keep a bottle of the body wash around too because it's good for travel.
ReplyDeletesmm: part of me is like "jeepers!" and part of me figures that days are pretty long for actors anyway.
I think I like this one best so far: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8JsvwUcok0
ReplyDeleteI might try to find a way to use "this voicemail is now diamonds!" somehow.
I also endorse Lush--good products (though quite pricey).
ReplyDeleteI did not realize before today that this was the same Isaiah Mustafa who used to play in the NFL.
ReplyDeleteI recommend the Body Shop. Dove is good, too. Method just came out with a few that I like.
ReplyDeleteI don't heckle. I just ask if he wants me to pick him up any more of his girl soap.
ReplyDeleteI also am a soap girl and i had to get the fiancee to switch from Lever 2000 to anything else at all that wasnt that smell, and we are now Dove Cucumber and Green Tea because he really likes the cucumber and because it is not pink.
ReplyDeleteThe last moment of this one killed me: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFDqvKtPgZo&feature=channel
ReplyDeletewww.oldspicevoicemail.com You can build your own voicemail message. Awesome.
ReplyDeleteThis is my favorite video... (and the most surreal):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d39XO_AULbE
Genevieve -- my 13-year-old son likes Irish Spring and the Up & Up (Target house brand) knock off. He started using it after picking up a sample bottle at the Y. I really like it because he doesn't stink when he uses it.
ReplyDeleteI detest Axe, and the Irish Spring/knockoff don't smell anything like it.
Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI wonder how much is the most giddily beloved a campaign has been. I'm not sure there have been any as widely appreciated as this, but I'm pretty sure that if you were to gauge both the breadth and the depth of popularity of a campaign while it's going on, this would be right up there.
ReplyDeleteI knew that, but I never knew him. At least I think I didn't. Did I ever own him in the VSFL?
ReplyDeleteThat was me.
ReplyDeleteTo me, this shows where good advertising can go in the future. The ad company's use of new media should be taught to all of those other ad people who think the only thing they can do on the internet is create increasingly annoying banner ads. This is genius.
ReplyDeleteLush's products last a long time, which makes up for the price for me.
ReplyDeleteI have very sensitive skin and body wash dries me out too much. I alternate Dove's unscented body bar with Lush's Figs & Leaves. Pretty much anything else makes me look like an albino with chicken pox.
Here's a good response: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/16/old-spice-guy-in-college_n_648935.html
ReplyDeleteHysterically funny! I had no idea he was responding to all the tweets! Thanks for posting.
ReplyDelete