Old Spice took a radical step to shed its old image of being associated with men’s grooming products but gradually labeled as ‘old man scent’. In 2010, it launched an advertising campaign featuring Isaiah Mustafa called ‘The Man Your Man Could Smell Like’. This campaign, especially aired during the Super Bowl, made a significant impact and achieved millions of views on YouTube.
The Success of the Advertisement Targeting Women
The advertisement, with Mustafa’s charismatic and confident demeanor, appealed to both men and women. With the theme ‘The man you would want your man to smell like,’ it addressed women as well, rejuvenating the brand’s image and reaching a broad audience. The ad also managed to capture viewers’ attention and influence them with its humorous language.
Old Spice’s Social Media Storm Begins
With this campaign, Old Spice did not limit itself to just a TV ad but followed a very active strategy on social media. Isaiah Mustafa interacted with users directly through video responses on Twitter and Facebook, leading an interactive campaign. This strategy enabled the brand’s message to engage directly with viewers and reach wider audiences.
The Great Viewing Success on the First Day
On the first day of the campaign, it achieved 5.9 million views on YouTube, marking a significant success. By the second day, Old Spice owned most of the internet’s popular videos, and by the third day, the view count surpassed 20 million. A week later, this number reached 40 million.
The Striking Truth Behind the Success
The increase in social media followers was also noteworthy; there was a 2700% increase on Twitter and an 800% increase on Facebook. Traffic to Oldspice.com increased by 300%, while YouTube subscription numbers doubled. As a result of this successful campaign, the Old Spice YouTube channel became the second most-watched branded channel of all time.
There was also a tremendous increase in sales; a 125% surge brought the brand to the highest sales level in its history. An important reason behind this success was that 60% of men’s shower gels were purchased by women. Therefore, designing the campaign to also appeal to women was key to this success.
With this clever marketing strategy, Old Spice not only rejuvenated its products but also successfully refreshed its brand image, reaching a broad audience.
Source: Marketing Week
