“The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” — one of the best brand reinvention campaign

“The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” campaign by Old Spice #oldspice is often considered to be one of the best marketing campaigns for new customer acquisition due to its innovative and engaging approach that successfully appealed to a younger, digitally-savvy audience.

The campaign featured a series of humorous and irreverent TV ads and social media videos featuring actor Isaiah Mustafa, who portrayed an idealized version of a man that women would want to be with and men would want to be like. The ads were playful, creative, and attention-grabbing, and went viral on social media platforms like YouTube.

The campaign was successful in attracting new customers to the brand by appealing to a younger demographic that may not have previously considered Old Spice #oldspice as a product for them. The humorous and engaging nature of the ads helped to differentiate Old Spice #oldspice from competitors and build a unique brand identity that resonated with consumers.

The campaign also leveraged social media and user-generated content to further expand its reach and engage with customers. Old Spice encouraged fans to create and share their own videos and photos using the hashtag #smellegendary, which helped to create a sense of community and foster brand loyalty.

How “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” helped Old Spice reinvent its brand

Old Spice’s “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” campaign was a game-changing marketing effort that successfully reinvented the brand by repositioning it to appeal to a younger, digitally-savvy audience. The Old Spice #oldspice differentiated itself from competitors and reinvented its brand through this campaign:

1. Humor and irreverence: Old Spice #oldspice had long been associated with a more traditional, conservative image, but the “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” campaign injected humor and irreverence into the brand’s messaging. The ads were playful, creative, and attention-grabbing, and went viral on social media platforms like YouTube.
2. Celebrity endorsement: The campaign featured actor Isaiah Mustafa, who portrayed an idealized version of a man that women would want to be with and men would want to be like. This celebrity endorsement helped to build brand recognition and differentiate Old Spice from competitors.
3. Social media and user-generated content: Old Spice #oldspice leveraged social media and user-generated content to further expand its reach and engage with customers. Old Spice encouraged fans to create and share their own videos and photos using the hashtag #smellegendary, which helped to create a sense of community and foster brand loyalty.
4. New product offerings: The success of the campaign also allowed Old Spice to introduce new product offerings, such as deodorant and body wash, which helped to expand the brand’s market share and appeal to a broader range of consumers.

“The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” campaign was successful in reinventing Old Spice’s brand by breaking through the clutter of traditional advertising and engaging with audiences in a fresh and innovative way. By differentiating itself from competitors and appealing to a younger, digitally-savvy audience, Old Spice was able to reposition itself as a modern, relevant brand that could compete in a highly competitive marketplace.

Media spend for “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like”

The exact media spend for the “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” campaign by Old Spice is not publicly disclosed. However, it’s estimated that the campaign had a budget of around $10 million, which was relatively small compared to other major advertising campaigns at the time.

What made the campaign unique was its innovative use of social media and user-generated content, which helped to generate widespread buzz and attention without the need for a massive media spend. The campaign’s creative and engaging content resonated with viewers and was shared widely on social media platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter, leading to millions of views and a significant increase in brand awareness and sales.

The success of the campaign was due in part to its ability to leverage new digital marketing channels in a way that was both cost-effective and highly impactful, demonstrating the power of creative marketing and strategic use of social media to reach and engage with audiences.

Spearhead the “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like”

The “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” campaign was created by the advertising agency Wieden+Kennedy #wiedenkennedy, based in Portland, Oregon. Wieden+Kennedy has a reputation for creating innovative and memorable campaigns for major brands, and the Old Spice campaign was no exception.

The Brand Manager who oversaw the “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” campaign for Old Spice was James Moorhead @James Moorhead. Moorhead served as the CMO for Old Spice from 2009 to 2011 and was responsible for overseeing the brand’s marketing strategy during that time.

Under Moorhead’s leadership, Old Spice launched several innovative and successful campaigns, including the “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” campaign. Moorhead recognized the importance of engaging with younger audiences through social media and digital channels and worked closely with Wieden+Kennedy to develop a creative concept that would resonate with those audiences.

The success of the campaign helped to revitalize the Old Spice brand and establish it as a leader in the men’s grooming category. Moorhead’s leadership and strategic vision played a key role in the success of the campaign and the brand’s overall marketing strategy.

Marketing lessons from The Man Your Man Could Smell Like campaign

Marketing lessons from The Man Your Man Could Smell Like campaign

1. Be bold and take risks: The campaign was bold, humorous, and unconventional, taking risks that paid off in the form of increased brand awareness and sales.
2. Know your audience: The campaign was designed to engage with younger audiences through social media and digital channels, and was crafted in a way that resonated with those audiences.
3. Be creative and memorable: The campaign’s creative approach helped differentiate the brand from competitors and build a unique brand identity that resonated with consumers.
4. Leverage social media: The campaign was widely shared on social media platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter, leading to millions of views and widespread attention.
5. Use humor: The campaign’s humorous and irreverent approach helped to engage and entertain viewers, making the brand more relatable and memorable.
6. Embrace user-generated content: The campaign’s use of user-generated content helped to generate buzz and attention, and encouraged consumers to engage with the brand in a more personal and meaningful way.

Overall, the success of the “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” campaign demonstrates the power of creative marketing, strategic use of social media, and a willingness to take risks and push boundaries to engage with audiences and build brand awareness.

Is it relevant today?

While the “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” campaign by Old Spice was launched more than a decade ago in 2010, its underlying marketing principles are still relevant today. Here are some reasons why:

1. Personalization: The campaign was successful because it personalized its messaging to appeal to its target audience — men. The campaign recognized that men have unique interests, challenges, and desires, and tailored its messaging to speak directly to them. This is still an effective marketing strategy today, where personalized marketing has become increasingly important.
2. Humour: The campaign used humour to engage its audience, which is still an effective technique to capture attention and create an emotional connection with the audience.
3. Social media: The campaign was heavily focused on social media, which is still a powerful channel for engaging with audiences today. Brands can use social media to create unique and shareable content, engage with their audience, and build brand awareness.
4. Responsive to audience feedback: The campaign was responsive to audience feedback and engaged with its audience in a two-way conversation, which is still important in building brand loyalty and increasing engagement with customers.
5. Brand reinvention: The campaign successfully reinvented the Old Spice brand, which is still relevant today. Brands can learn from this example and focus on repositioning their brand to stay relevant in a rapidly changing market.

Overall, the “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” campaign is still relevant today because it successfully used marketing principles that are still effective today — personalization, humor, social media, responsiveness to feedback, and brand reinvention.

What differentiates “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” campaigns from other best campaigns

“The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” campaign by Old Spice is a standout campaign because of its unique and unconventional approach to marketing. Here are some factors that differentiate it from other best campaigns:

1. Use of humor: The campaign relied heavily on humor and wit to engage with audiences, making it more relatable and memorable. The use of a charismatic and entertaining spokesperson (Isaiah Mustafa) added to the humor and made the campaign more enjoyable to watch.
2. Creativity and originality: The campaign’s creative approach was innovative and original, breaking the mold of traditional advertising and creating a unique brand identity that resonated with audiences.
3. Integration of social media: The campaign was designed with social media in mind, leveraging platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter to reach younger audiences and encourage user-generated content.
4. Interactive elements: The campaign included interactive elements like personalized video responses, which helped to create a more engaging and personalized experience for viewers.
5. The reinvention of brand image: The campaign helped to reinvent the Old Spice brand image from a traditional, outdated men’s grooming brand to a more modern and innovative brand that resonated with younger audiences.

Overall, the “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” campaign stood out from other best campaigns due to its creative, humorous, and unconventional approach to marketing, its strategic use of social media and interactive elements, and its success in reinventing the Old Spice brand image.