Old Spice is a brand that has been around for over 80 years, but for much of that time, it had lost its relevance with the younger generation. In the early 2000s, the brand was seen as outdated, uncool, and irrelevant to modern consumers. However, all that changed in 2010 when the brand launched a new marketing campaign that transformed it from a tired, old-fashioned product to a modern, dynamic brand that was the talk of the town.
Background
In the early 2000s, Old Spice was a brand that was struggling to connect with younger consumers. Its advertisements featured older men using the product, and the messaging was outdated and uninspiring. The brand needed a new approach to connect with its target market of young, active men.
Strategy
In 2010, Old Spice launched a new marketing campaign that was designed to reposition the brand and appeal to younger consumers. The campaign was called “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like,” and it featured a series of humorous, over-the-top commercials that showcased the brand’s products in a new light.
The campaign was based on a simple premise: what if Old Spice was not just for older men, but also for younger men who wanted to smell good and feel confident? The ads featured a suave, handsome man named Isaiah Mustafa, who spoke directly to the camera and addressed the viewer as “ladies.” The ads were a huge hit, and they quickly went viral.
Implementation
The “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” campaign was a multi-channel effort that included TV commercials, print ads, social media, and digital marketing. The TV commercials were the centrepiece of the campaign, and they featured Isaiah Mustafa in a variety of humorous situations, such as riding a horse on the beach or sitting in a bathtub surrounded by bubbles.
The print ads featured the same messaging as the TV commercials, but with a different visual approach. The ads showed the Old Spice products in a new light, using bright colors and bold typography to make them stand out on the page. The digital marketing component of the campaign was equally important. Old Spice created a series of YouTube videos that were designed to engage with viewers and encourage them to share the content with their friends. The videos featured Isaiah Mustafa responding to tweets and comments in real time, creating a sense of interactivity and authenticity that resonated with the brand’s target market.
Results
The “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” campaign was a huge success for Old Spice. The TV commercials alone generated over 50 million views on YouTube, and the campaign as a whole helped to reposition the brand and make it relevant to a younger audience.
Sales of Old Spice products also increased dramatically during the campaign period. In the first three months of the campaign, sales of Old Spice body wash increased by 107%, and overall sales of Old Spice products increased by 55%.
The success of the campaign also had a halo effect on the Old Spice brand as a whole. The brand’s social media following grew by 2700%, and the campaign received widespread media coverage in both traditional and digital media.
