Old Spice remade Kazakh masculinity with a hit song about a hero

In Kazakhstan, many men considered fragrance and grooming products unmanly, which capped category growth even as incomes and global exposure rose. Traditional advertising could not shift a cultural belief.

Old Spice and NOTO Agency chose entertainment over argument. They co-created 'Aidakhar' with Irina Kairatovna, a beloved local artist, producing an original music video built on Kazakh symbols — the horse — and a character named Beka who embodied a modern, confident masculinity.

The song became popular culture rather than advertising: it spread on YouTube and TikTok as music people chose to watch, with the shower gel embedded in the story rather than pitched. Fans joined the conversation, creating millions of user-generated videos.

By letting local artists define what masculinity could be, the campaign made buying the product an expression of the new identity, not a concession to marketing.

Change the culture, then sell the bottle

Local cultural symbols made the reframing credible to the Kazakh audience.

A real music hit travels as entertainment, escaping ad avoidance entirely.

User-generated participation turned viewers into co-creators of the new masculinity.

The collaboration gave the brand authenticity no imported campaign could buy.

If the barrier is cultural, don't argue with it — embed the product in the culture's own entertainment and let adoption express identity.

The track drew over 200 million YouTube views and millions of user-generated videos, and Old Spice shower gel sales rose 125%; the campaign won the Music Grand Prix at Spikes Asia 2025 plus two bronzes.