A New Old Spice Man?

Ok, I’ve become disturbingly familiar with the Old Spice brand during the past few weeks. Besides all the advertising knowledge I’ve gained, there has been one major plus of all of my team’s hard work: getting to look at lots and lots of pictures of Isaiah Mustafa. No one can argue that he’s a gorgeous man (although apparently he has a daughter, which makes him seem a little less attainable). Back to the point, Isaiah is a strong, good-looking guy who has been the perfect spokesperson for the Old Spice brand, spearheading the campaign entitled, “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like”. 

Debuting in June 2010 and continuing on from there, this campaign has been extremely successful for Old Spice, as statistics prove (for example, their sales have grown 107% as a result). With those kind of numbers, and the fact that Isaiah Mustafa has risen to such popularity (with around 55,000 followers on Twitter alone), you can imagine my surprise when Old Spice came out with this new commercial, WITHOUT the puppy-loving, mustache-bearing, guitar-playing Isaiah.

This commercial has the same humor and bravado of every Old Spice commercial, even though it is without the brand’s major star. The ad for the company’s new cologne “Danger Zone” features a still anonymous Old Spice man, who treks through the wilderness and appears completely unfazed by snakes, rough waters, and even an alligator eating his legs down to the bone. As much as I love Isaiah, I have to admit that I approve of Old Spice’s latest ad, and think that their move makes sense.

We are currently in an age of tabloids and public relations disasters. Thus, as companies have learned, it’s not smart or economical to invest a company’s entire image in one person. This is the danger that Old Spice faces if it continues to keep Isaiah as the only face of its grooming products. As a Senior Marketing Strategist from Wieden+Kennedy, the advertising agency that handles the Old Spice campaigns, addressed, “It has been an evolving process with many different Old Spice men.” From Swagger and LL Cool J to Bruce Campbell to Will Ferrell, there have been many Old Spice men. Isaiah may have been the most successful, but he will surely not be the last.

THE MEN OF OLD SPICE

WILL FERRELL

BRUCE CAMPBELL

LL COOL J

The most important thing for this dynamic brand is that it continues to appeal to young men seeking a sense of confidence and the ability to accomplish the many goals that they have set out for themselves. With this confidence, dependability, and humor, any man can be an Old Spice Man.