The encyclopedia · Marketing & Brand · Marketing decision · 2010
Old Spice revived a stale brand by answering fan comments in near-real-time videos
A shaky men's body-wash brand turned a single ad into a live celebrity who replied to tweets on camera.
Old Spice (Procter & Gamble)
the move
Old Spice body wash was in decline, losing younger buyers to Gillette and Nivea. It needed to feel contemporary without changing the product.
Wieden+Kennedy created a single memorable character, Isaiah Mustafa, and a first spot. Then instead of spending more on reach, they made him answer viewer comments in short, near-real-time videos.
The response series drew questions from celebrities and racked up over 15 million views. Sales of Old Spice body wash rose 106% in the four weeks ending 13 June versus the same period a year earlier, per SymphonyIRI.
why it works
- Replying in near-real time made the brand feel alive and conversational, which was the opposite of a staid 1950s deodorant.
- Each reply was targeted to a specific person, so it was sharable and earned attention rather than bought.
- The character gave a cheap spokesperson who could say things an ad could not, keeping the tone irreverent and memorable.
- It reversed a loss in four weeks and gave Old Spice the biggest body-wash market-share gain of the period, per the same data.
what transfers
Instead of buying more impressions, give one famous asset the ability to reply; a brand that answers people is remembered as a participant.
what came after
Old Spice became the reference case for real-time, personality-led social marketing. The campaign won an Emmy for Outstanding Commercial, and sales continued to build; the first spot and the response series together turned an old brand into a digital-era case study.
references
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