Old Spice revived a stale brand by answering fan comments in near-real-time videos

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.

Answer people out loud on camera instead of buying reach

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.

Instead of buying more impressions, give one famous asset the ability to reply; a brand that answers people is remembered as a participant.

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.