Advertising
In the late 1970s and 1980s, Old Spice ad campaigns in the United Kingdom and Ireland featured a man on a surfboard accompanied by Carl Orff's O Fortuna from Carmina Burana, with the tagline "Old Spice – The Mark Of A Man"; and was featured on the The 100 Greatest TV Ads.[8][9]
An advertising campaign developed by Wieden + Kennedy in 2010 featuring Isaiah Mustafa became popular after the first advertisement, titled "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like".[10][11] Following this campaign, Old Spice introduced Fabio Lanzoni to challenge Isaiah Mustafa for the Old Spice Guy title in an online advertising campaign.
After the success of "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like", Old Spice released "The Response Campaign". Over the course of two and a half days, the brand filmed 186 videos featuring Mustafa engaging in conversation with fans and celebrities.
Old Spice has partnered with the NFL and featured football stars including Ray Lewis, Greg Jennings, and Wes Welker in various TV and digital campaigns. In 2012, former NFL player Terry Crews was featured in the brand's viral hit "Muscle Music". The interactive video allowed people to make music through different musical instruments rigged to corresponding muscles on Crews's body.[12]
The commercial "Momsong" became popular in 2014 as a part of the brand's "Smellcome to Manhood" campaign.[13]
In early 2016, Old Spice introduced a new brand character, the Legendary Man, with two TV commercials, "Rocket Car" and "Whale", to launch the Hardest Working Collection.[14] Old Spice also launched a series of digital infomercials with Canadian actor Steven Ogg. Later in 2016, the brand introduced two additional Old Spice characters, actors Thomas Beaudoin and Alberto Cardenas, in an advertising campaign for the Red Zone product collection.[15]
Old Spice has sponsored many cars throughout the NASCAR world from 2004 to 2010. They first sponsored Ricky Craven at Talladega in 2004, then moved to Tony Stewart in Busch Races with Joe Gibbs Racing and Kevin Harvick Incorporated. In 2009, they followed Stewart when he formed his own team and car number 14 car for 2009 and 2010 with a win at Watkins Glen. Old Spice returned to NASCAR in 2019 to sponsor Corey LaJoie and Go Fas Racing's 32 car for the 2019 Daytona 500. The car had a unique design in which Corey LaJoie's face was designed on the hood of the car. The team finished 18th in that race.[16] Old Spice was also featured as the sponsor of John C. Reilly's character, Cal Naughton Jr., in the 2006 comedy Talladega Nights. The brand returned to the sport for a one-off appearance in 2023, sponsoring Chase Briscoe and Stewart–Haas Racing's 14 car for the 2023 YellaWood 500.[17]
In 2019, Old Spice named actor, comedian, and writer Deon Cole as its global brand ambassador for its five-piece line.[18][19]
In January 2020, Old Spice brought back their viral 2010 campaign "Smell Like a Man, Man" to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the original commercial, and worked with Wieden + Kennedy once again for the reboot.[20]
Since the 1990s many Old Spice commercials have featured an eight-note penny whistle tune inspired by a sea shanty.
