OLD SPICE SEX vs. AXE LOVE & PEACE

If you need inspiration, you must watch Super Bowl Ads!

Last summer, I had an internship at Ogilvy Paris (Miami Ad School calls it Greenhouse, but for Agency it still looks like you are an intern. I will explain the difference next time). The time I spent in Paris was very efficient and productive because we spent a lot of time with top creatives discussing, analyzing and critiquing strategies and executions. This experience taught me to watch and critique everything created before creating an excellent ad.

One of the best commercials I have ever seen during the Super Bowl was“The Man Your Man Could Smell Like,”  which was introduced by Old Spice in February 2010.

This is perfectly depicts the commercial, which combines both creativity and profitability.

ABOUT CAMPAIGN

The campaign centers around the eponymous “Man Your Man Could Smell Like,” played by actor Isaiah Mustafa (Old Spice refers to him as “Old Spice Man”), addressing the viewer in confident, rapid-fire monologues which promote the benefit of using Old Spice products.

The campaign was initially launched to market Old Spice’s Red Zone After Hours Body Wash, but has subsequently been expanded to include other products following the success of the initial advertisements.

While reciting the monologues, Mustafa progresses through various activities, locations, costumes, and extraordinary situations, all in one uninterrupted take while maintaining constant eye-contact with the camera in a nonchalant demeanor. The advertisements typically feature a surprise ending.

CREATIVE PROCESS

Allen and Kallman confirmed that the commercial was filmed in a single uninterrupted take, requiring three days of shooting and numerous attempts to achieve success.

Minimal computer-generated imagery (CGI) was used. They did overlay a separately shot artificial hand. During the segment when diamonds flow from Mustafa’s palm and the body wash rises through the pile of diamonds, they utilized a separately filmed shot of the hand.

The remaining effects were practical and achieved on-set, including a crane lifting the bathroom set from above, a crew member dropping a pre-formed shirt over Mustafa’s head from above, and a cart that carried Mustafa from the boat set onto the back of a horse.

GO VIRAL

Actor Isaiah Mustafa’s robust, manly delivery — along with unbelievable and perfectly executed transitions — made this hilarious commercial go viral in the winter of 2010, and the internet gave Old Spice more free publicity than the company could dream of. And it wasn’t just empty hype: Sales of Old Spice Body Wash increased over 100% the month after the commercial debuted.

TARGET AUDIENCE

The campaign targets female shoppers, despite the product’s target market being male, as the company determined that women frequently make purchasing decisions in respect of hygiene products even for male household members.

This dual audience was a first for the brand; a strategic choice that the Brand ultimately hoped would encourage the ladies to buy Old Spice for their guys.

As a result of all success the commercial won The Grand Prix at Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival and Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Commercial in 6 months time after it was introduced to the audience.

COMMERCIAL RESULTS AND PROFITS

Sales of Old Spice Body Wash  increased over 100% the month after the commercial debuted.

“The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” campaign had a positive impact on the bottom line, and sales far exceeded expectations.

According to Nielsen, by May of 2010 unit sales of Old Spice Red Zone body wash had increased 60% from the previous year.

And by July of 2010, sales had more than doubled versus the prior year, with an increase of 125% — an all-time high for the brand.

STEAL THE SHOW

Old Spice won the battle of the buzz. With a communications strategy tailored to maximize conversation with both men and women, Old Spice ultimately succeeded in dominating the discussion.

In the first three months following the campaign’s launch, Old Spice captured 76% of online buzz (with over half of this coming from women).

This story held true on YouTube. By April, “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” had amassed more than 10 million views, more than 10 times the number of views for Dove’s Super Bowl commercial.

TOP sharing video – 3,000,00 views at 1st month

The work demonstrates that simple insights combined with exceptional storytelling can have a dramatic impact on a brand’s bottom line, even in a low-involvement category.

A crusader against “lady-scented” body wash, his suave, charismatic ways appealed to both sexes… and his “look at your man, now back to me” dialogue practically forced a conversation between ladies and their guys which became a key strategy.

One more great example of dialogue between sexes is a new commercial which was just released at Super Bowl by AXE – “Make Love, Not War”.

This Unilever brand is normally known for their racy and/or ludicrous commercials and advertising campaigns and here they are making us tear up as we think about their new brand, Axe Peace!

Commercial shows us a beautiful storytelling with a power of music, there is just one phrase in all 60 seconds of this short movie – the name of the man she loves who came back from the war. It is full of love, emotions and happiness at the end when even dictators turn their power to show to girls of their lives that she is the only one.

This commercial is not only beautifully shot, but it also conveys a wonderfully profound message, using a variety of little vignettes to express the same message, one tried and true but still as relevant and powerful as ever: Make Love, Not War!

AXE caught today’s trend: everybody is tired from wars which does not make any sense in the brains of human beings and just destroying our lives. And the time it was launched – two weeks before the Valentine’s Day will motivate girls to buy AXE for their men as a present.

This commercial is also has a great potential to be successful. It is already got more than 6,000,000 millions views and this figure is increasing every day.

What do you think? Will this Axe commercial has the same dramatic effect on sales and people mind as Old Spice has? We do not know it now but I am sure that you will remember this video for a very long time if it makes you cry and experience extreme emotions… That’s really something, and it appeals to both sexes. Again.