> CAMPAIGN
Old Spice – ResponseCampaign
Part of the Wieden + Kennedy Portland-devised ‘Smell like a Man, Man’ campaign, this execution took place over three days in July, when the Old Spice guy (Isaiah Mustafa) engaged directly with fans and consumers by providing 186 person- alised messages and responses to questions.
It wasn’t so long ago that Old Spice conjured up images of cheap aftershavemost suited to your grandfather, a Seventies dad or a real- ly hard-up debs date from the Eighties. Thanks to the recent Old Spice online campaign, ad agency
Wieden + Kennedy Portland has managed not only to really trans- form this image but also to create a viral sensation that has been widely replicated, planting the brand firmly in the hearts andminds of its target market and beyond. So why was this campaign such a success and, in particular, with
the notoriously difficult ‘Gen Y’ group? The key ingredients in its suc- cess included personalised communication, real-time responses to ordinary people and influencers, as well as making it simple to share the numerous videos produced. But most of all, it was really funny and the humour cleverly tran-
scended cultures. Old Spice’s seeming ability to laugh about its her- itage, while not poking fun at the product itself, resonated with con- sumers who increasingly seek authenticity and honesty frombrands. As someone working in communications, with a background in TV
production, what capturedmy imagination was the sheer speed with which they rolled out the videos. Producing hundreds of videos in rapid succession was something we’ve never seen before and yet the quantity didn’t compromise the quality. The campaign got the seal of approval from the industry when the
Old Spice guy, actor Isaiah Mustafa, won an Emmy for his witty, cheesy and sexy portrayal of the ‘man yourman could smell like’. He spoke to women, but also to men, and portrayed a man it was okay for other men to like. But what about the bottom line? Did this result in increased sales
for Old Spice? According to figures from Nielsen, sales increased 55pc in the threemonths following the campaign, which, like the Old Spice guy himself, speaks volumes.
Bernice Burnside is MD of PR and mar- keting agency, Bvisible Communications.
38 Marketing Age Volume 4 Issue 3 2010
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