Old Spice is New Again - The Power of an Integrated Marketing Approach

Readers,

(Look at your blog, now back to me, now back to your blog, now back to me.)

Sadly your blog isn’t mine, but if you stopped producing boring content and really took a chance on your next blog post, you could start building a dedicated following, like me.

(Look down, back up – where are you? You’re on a boat.)

If it sounds like I’m talking gibberish, you obviously aren’t familiar with the latest ad campaign from Old Spice that’s flooded the Internet and television stations over the past six months. Here’s the link to the official video webpage for a quick refresher. In these spots, a ruggedly handsome man named Mr. Isaiah Mustafa attempts to convince female viewers that purchasing Old Spice body wash will make their boyfriends and husbands just like him, at least when it comes to their scent.

The videos go about things in a truly unique manner, drawing overt attention to their overly-produced nature. The commercials themselves are pretty funny, but they’re just the beginning. The Old Spice Guy marketing campaign is also dominating the Internet on sites like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. This week, Mr. Mustafa proved he was more than just a set of rock hard abs (on a boat) when he began to respond to the comments left by visitors to Old Spice’s various social networking accounts. So far he’s responded to everyone from Perez Hilton and Rose McGowan to obscure online visitors, and there’s no telling who will be next.

Turning Nothing into Something

Up until this week, millions of consumers could have cared less about Old Spice and their latest product line. The stereotype has always been that Old Spice is just that – a spritz worn by older men looking to feel younger. But all that has changed thanks to Mr. Mustafa and his chiselled physique. The campaign is genius, really. It’s unique, hilarious, and entirely social. Kids everywhere are quoting the commercials, and as of July 13, @OldSpice had more than 22,188 followers on Twitter and some 573,685 fans on Facebook. Old Spice has transformed their image seemingly overnight, all thanks to their integrated marketing approach.

Understanding the Old Spice Approach

In my opinion, the latest Old Spice marketing campaign has become a huge hit for three basic reasons:

1) It’s clever.

The Old Spice commercials are brilliant not just because they’re funny, but because they’re funny at their own expense. Buying body wash isn’t rocket science – you simply purchase one with a nice scent. So, instead of trying to convince us that their body wash is the best, Old Spice takes a completely unexpected route, entertaining us with ridiculous sets and cheesy lines. Teenagers everywhere are probably buying this stuff by the case simply so they can recite the ridiculous script over and over again, (what’s in your hand, back at me, it’s an oyster with two tickets to that thing you like…)

2) It embraces online communities.

The first commercial was hilarious, the second one was ok, but the fact that Mr. Mustafa is engaging with fans via numerous online communities 24 hours a day – well, that’s pretty ingenious. The short 30 second clips that Old Spice is posting to their YouTube account and Tweeting about are perfect for sharing online. They’re short, they’re funny, and everyone knows about them. One look at Mr. Mustafa’s abs and you know a tiny tidbit of ridiculousness is about to happen on your screen.

3) 90% of the video responses don’t even mention an Old Spice product.

The Old Spice Guy online campaign has become a pop culture phenomenon, and the people at Old Spice are smart enough to know it. Mr. Mustafa wouldn’t be nearly as funny if he kept talking about body wash every five seconds. The fact that he’s “the Old Spice Guy” is plenty enough advertising for the folks at Proctor & Gamble, and enough to keep Mr. Mustafa and his towel in the public spotlight for at least a few more days.

(Look again, your blog has turned into diamonds.)