Giving an Old Product Some Spice
If you’re anything like me, you have may walked around whistling the Old Spice theme now and then during the last week. This is an odd new twist considering the long-winded history of this classically stodgy brand. As a kid, I recall seeing bottles of Old Spice after shave in my parent’s medicine cabinet. As a teenager and young adult, I remember thinking of Old Spice as a has-been product, one that I would never ever use.
Old Spice as a brand has been around for a long time – since about 1937, when it was originally introduced as a woman’s fragrance known as Early American Old Spice. Then in 1938, Old Spice for men was introduced. In the decades that followed, Old Spice would become a household name in fragrance products, branded on a nautical theme with sailing ships being central to its branding. By the time Procter & Gamble purchased Old Spice from its original founders the Shulton Company in 1990, it was a tired old brand in need of a new lease on life.
P&G has made a number of changes over the last 20 years including the branding, packaging and product lines. In 2006, it brought in Wieden & Kennedy to freshen the image of Old Spice in the minds of young people within its Gen Y target market. One Wieden copywriter explained “if you put Nikes on your feet, you’re making a statement. If you’re using Old Spice, you’re not. Procter wanted to see if they could change that.” In early 2007, the agency unveiled its first work and it was immediately clear that a new Old Spice era was born. The creatives at Wieden infused a self-awareness approach that referenced the brand’s history and heritage while making it fun and appealing to a younger generation.
More recently, during the 2010 Super Bowl in February, P&G with the help of Wieden introduced its latest character, the Old Spice Man played by former pro football player and struggling actor Isaiah Mustafa. The successful TV spots led up to the latest phenomenon — a social media extravaganza that included the creation of 186 YouTube videos, or near real-time ‘responses’ in only two days, with Mustafa starring in all of them wearing only a towel.
With an estimated 37 million views on YouTube in a matter of days, this recent effort is already widely talked about as the gold-standard of all social media campaigns. More than that, it’s an indication of how an old brand that had seemed to run its course can turn things around, virtually forcing a new generation of customers to give it a look. While P&G executives have not yet released any figures, there are indications that sales of Old Spice products have seen a boost because of the campaign.
What is the lesson here for marketers of mature products that perhaps could use a brand tune-up? We often hear doubts about certain low interest products and whether or not it is possible for marketers of such products to engage customers. After all, who would want to engage with a vacuum cleaner, or a blender? Or a deodorant for that matter?
But the Old Spice scenario gives hope to these marketers, whether your goal is to invoke feelings of joy, comfort, safety or prestige. If you are creative and able to infuse some emotion into your campaigns, anything is possible.
What are you doing to engage your customers and invoke feelings in them that are relevant to your brand?
SILVER FISH HAND CATCH!!!
LOL his first commercial is still a classic! (Mustafa) I think this company took a risk by what they did with the commecial, but it definitely paid off. Overall, they did an excellent job reinventing themselves.
Entertainment is obviously key, but at least you remember that what the Old Spice commercial is for. We’ve all watched commercials we thought were great but could not remember what product they are pushing. North Coast Muse @ http://sally1029.wordpress.com
I think it’s a great campaign — who knew they still made Old Spice? — but Old Spice still smells like my dad, circa 1972. (No offense, Dad.) It’ll be interesting to see whether all the buzz translates into sales once all these Gen Y guys actually get a whiff of the stuff.
http://toddpack.com
Mustafa is really funny. The commercials are extremely creative and hilarious to watch. So in that regard, he really did spice up something “old”.
-Noor
http://noor724.wordpress.com/
I’m hooked on my own brand. A commercial that happens to be very clever and entertaining never persuades me to change products. Although, I sure enjoy watching them!
Nothing defeats classic, but I welcome modern and new ways of ad campaigning.
Thanks for the memory. My dad always used Old Spice when I was growing up. Good blog.
I always find it funny how it seems so many guys around my age “wrote off” Old Spice. Sure, I, too, associated it with my dad, uncles, and grandpas, but that just meant that I saw Old Spice aftershave as the standard the ultimate “man smell.” I use other stuff now and then, but I always see Old Spice Original in the cream-colored bottle as the standard and the ideal. Interesting.
Damn, I really should give this stuff a shot. Speed Stick is giving me scabies with this heat and it’s clearly not as awesome without Isaiah backing it. Very well-written post, man. Most interesting thing I’m gonna read all day. Love that magazine ad with the ice cream girl, too. Awesome.
My husband wears Old Spice. Frankly I love Brut.
The Old Spice commercials are keeping up with Axe.
Doesn’t make me wanna buy, but this is advertising at its best.
The Old Spice renaissance we’ve been seeing is rather remarkable. I’m not a fan of the Axe advertising campaigns and commercials like that, but there’s something different about the Old Spice ones that makes me really like them. But whatever they’re doing, they are doing it very, very well.
It used to be thought that only old men wore Old Spice. My dad wore it up until he died at the age of 89. I think you’re more influential than you think you are.
I can see the comparison with Axe, but it’s clear the target audience is different. I think all men have fairly strong feelings about what they are going to smell like. Girlfriends, wives on the other hand might not have the same associations. I can’t wear Calvin Klein Obsession because I don’t want to smell like my grandfather. I have a similar opinion of Old Spice, so I’m not going to run out and buy their product either. However, my wife would be inclined to pick up a bottle of their body wash from the store because she loves the marketing (especially the print ad of The Old Spice Man in the “Soapy Easy Rider” bathtub pose.
Old Spice deoderant is fantastic. However, their commercials are ridiculous. They’re weird, unfunny, and do not entice me to buy Old Spice. I buy the deoderant because it smells great and does the job. Plus, I’ve worn the same deoderant for a long time and don’t want to switch to something that might smell like hot garbage and/or not work effectively.
Either way, their commercials suck. Massively. They’re definitely original, I’ll give them that. But when they come on, I’ll change the channel just to avoid watching them. That’s a powerfully shitty commercial when it goes so far as to coerce a changing of channels to avoid it, no?
I remember Old Spice the way it used to be.
The Codger
http://thecodger.wordpress.com/
I giggle each time my husband’s phone rings. Because its the OS whistle.
They did an AMAZING job with this campaign and all the viral stuff they got out there. But I really think the most impressive part is the actor – those commercials are done in one take with very little CGI. Granted, the final cut is like take 53 but still… he doesn’t skip a beat.
This 63 year old thinks the campaign is brilliant, and Mustafa is that rare comination of insanely hot and wildly funny.
One sentence in particular caught our attention: “After all, who would want to engage with a vacuum cleaner, or a blender?” The folks at Dyson created a vacuum with which thousands of people engage. We’re tracking the company’s latest effort, the pricey “Air Multiplier.” This will be a great test of Dyson’s ability to market a mature, low interest product such as a fan.
Dyson is a great example of company taking a mundane product category and creating something that is remarkable. If any company can make people want to buzz about vacuum cleaners and fans, it’s probably Dyson.
Golly! I would have never known all the history behind ‘Old Spice’ if I haven’t stumbled upon this! Thanks! ^^
But oh goodness, I can say that those ‘Old Spice’ commercials will forever be a classic X3 lol They’re so fun! XD
Everyone is talking about the old spice commercial as a hit. We’ve all seen it sitting there on the shelf in the stores where it has always been for decades – but we don’t buy it because old spice is old. Old Spice need more than great marketing for an old brand, they need the great marketing on a new brand for new consumers. Lets talk about Axe body spray for a minute – unique commercial too, but this time targeted at the right consumer and they bought it. Are new consumers running out to buy and spray Old Spice on for the weekend?
What old spice did was deveop a very unique commercial that grabbed our attention – then they made the great decision on how to push this to the next level with YouTube – and they did it where thousands of others have failed. Good for them. Still, I’m waiting to see whether the great decisions and luck translate to sales increases. Will we see POP in the stores or the cardboard man on a horse displaying his Old Spice?
I agree 100%! Even though the Old Spice commercials are extremely popular, Old Spice fails to actually sell its product to consumers.
It is a great campaign but it still needs to overcome the fact that when the top comes off, it still smells like my Uncle Ed.
As someone who writes a blog about the absolute worst in advertising, the Old Spice campaign is something utterly refreshing. Sure, there may be an element of over-selling involved but to see a brand reinvent itself using the cutting edge of social technology is fantastic.
Michael Park
http://www.fadvertising.net
EVERYONE is talking about Old Spice so I’m sure people are buying. And they are not stuck in the old…meaning the old scent. They have new stuff too. So good for them. We, my family have been buying it all along. We’re not that picky, so give us coupons and we’re there! I LOVE the commercials. If as I’m shopping, the products, like deodorants, and body washes were the same price I WOULD get the Old spice over the other product because of the commercial, so JOB done, and Well Done!!
evelyngarone.com
I LOVE the campaign, but also Old Spice is just a good, quality fragrance. It smells nice and it’s not overpowering. That’s why it’s a good candidate for the image overhaul.
Old spice – What is old is new again. I poured it on at the height of puberty since it was cheap to buy. The fragrance has stayed constant and that is what is important it may not be for everyone but Mens fragrances these days kind of smell like Pine-Sol to me. I say Re-Brand On!
This is a good post, especially since it deals with things that fade out then are suddenly coming back. Good read!
my father should know about this
My university made a parody of the original commercial for our library! It hit one million views in just a couple days! Check it out:
Wow. for a knock-off, this is really a quality knock-off. And the guy is really good too. They did a great job with this. Interesting to see how many parodies like this we’ll see in the future. I expect a lot.
SallyK, you make a good point. In the Old Spice ads, the brand itself is certainly memorable, isn’t it? You know it’s Old Spice when you think back to it. There are many entertaining spots these days where it’s hard to remember what brand it’s for.
Here’s something for you tech guys. I found it back when I was re-watching this very commercial on youtube after I hadn’t watched the superbowl and my friends kept quoting it.
Ha ha.That old man in last picture.
Good post.
The problem is it still smells like Old Spice.
ya man
bradd nd sista
Doesn’t make me want Old Spice but it does make me jealous of one white horse.
Don’t forget that most cologne is purchased as a gift. The ads appeal to a wide audience and not just to horndog men, like the Axe commercials do. By Christmas time I can see the old spice cologne selling like crazy. Nice price point too.
When it comes to deodorant and soaps, a guy’s preferences are set in his early 20s. Not many will try something new after that.
Men’s perfume adverts are generally couched in humour – women’s seldom so – though the Chanel No5 advert starring the porcelain-faced Nicole Kidman exclaiming she ‘loves to dance’ was hilarious!
The odds are firmly stacked against Old Spice. The “Old” in the brand does not inspire confidence and does not suggest heritage or revitalisation. Spice feels like something you find a the bottom of your fathers draw to fresh his socks.
Not an auspious start but it hasn’t stopped Wispa bar, Martini and Croft’s Port from trying to reinvigorate.
Within a once successful brand’s archaelogy there is always something to play and this creative has worked the masculinity and female alure themes in Old Spices visual brand library to the max. The ads are funny, engaging, sensual and intimate (Kevin Roberts from Saatchi and Saatchi of “Lovemarks” fame will be pleased) however the product lacks credibility and a sense of mystery. I am not convinced to hunt out the brand and see if there has been a reformulation, however I will continue to enjoy the adverts and creativity.
The great white hope is female buyers at Christmas. The awareness maybe just enough to give the brand a tick up. I know P&G will have been looking at the pheromonal balances, and wonder how much they made it appeal to women. As always what they like to wear on themselves is different from what they want to smell on a significant other fine balance.
Another brand trying to reinvigourate itself is Brand Beckham. With the DVB generic brand about to be launched, the question is has this egocentric ban waggon run its course? http://wp.me/pYXZO-9o .
Oh, I remember the 70s and 80s Old Spice ads very well… but I have to say love these new tongue-in-cheeck ones…. what a fabulous way to re-energize a brand. Whoever came up with that concept deserves an award….
Omg, my 46 year old husband has taken to talking like this! He answered the phone the other day with a very deep toned and slow “hello…” He keeps saying all kinds of things to me in that voice, hilarious and lots of fun!
And yes, this is one of those marketing ideas that will go down in history! Remember: Where’s the beef?!
I forgot last time when use after save Old Spice but today I read article about Old Spice.
Remember I had used Old Spice that time it’s very popular brand.
I use to associate Old Spice with balding, middle aged men, when I was a child. I still haven’t changed my opinion, because the name is still old imo. However, I do enjoy watching the sexy Mustafa, strut his stuff in his original Old Spice Advert.