You may have seen this ad floating around the internet before, but it’s always worth another watch. I’d forgotten that Old Spice existed before this bad boy put them back on the map for me. I’m not actually sure what I like best about the ad; the ad itself, or the fact that it led to the creation of this.
The bad:
You can’t really criticise anything about this ad, I think it’s as popular as it is for good reason. Now Old Spice will have to keep freshening things up, as their big rivals, Lynx/Axe, are all over the media, and Axe's constant presence could easily be enough to drown them out again, despite Old Spice targeting a slightly older crowd.
The good:
He’s holding two tickets to that thing you love. Those tickets are now diamonds. He’s on a horse. That’s three of many reasons why this ad works so well. But digging a bit deeper, why would this unfairly handsome man’s jokes persuade you to buy Old Spice? Researchers use the awkward term, ‘involvement’, with several meanings, but the one that matters here is the relative importance and value that somebody gives to a product. When somebody has a low level of involvement with an issue, they will be more easily persuaded by positive emotional stimulation and humour than by a strong argument or detailed evidence. Since body wash isn’t exactly a top priority on people’s budgets, any jokes, music, or cues that hit the right buttons will do a great job persuading somebody.
Venturing more into gender-specific psychology, and my own personal opinion, the guy in the ad is a bit of a hero. When guys see some of their heroes on screen, a concept called the ‘male gaze’ takes place, where some (non-erotic) fantasising goes on and the viewer feels mentally a bit like the hero at certain moments. Did you come out of the cinema after watching The Dark Knight feeling slightly more like a badass? Probably more than I did, because I got shit seats that were right at the front. Anyway, since guys are the target market here, Old Spice made a good, creative move in picking this charmer of a spokesperson to actually address women as the audience. People put up a resistance to persuasion when given commands, like, “buy this”, “do that”, or, “lick this”. Actually, scratch that last one. So, here Old Spice are using a subtle and indirect persuasion technique, where guys will feel like they’re making up their own mind on the issue, because the message is being delivered to the ladies. In turn, addressing the ladies could provoke girlfriends watching the ad to make the all-important purchase for their hard-working, grateful, boyfriends. No, it’s not just an obscure thing that I wish would happen to me. Shut up.
Before I get emotional, I’ll leave you with some of the other gems from the campaign. Enjoy, responsibly.
