In case you’ve missed them, I want to bring to your attention just how good the TV advertising for Old Spice is thanks to agency Wieden & Kennedy.
Digital advertising people occasionally talk about the death of traditional mass media advertising. They’re right for certain kinds of businesses, but Old Spice shows why it works (and probably always will) for others.
The key to remember is that their product – deodorant – is a commodity; you may prefer one kind or another based on smell or how they feel, but Old Spice vs. Gillette does not have the substantive difference in “features” one finds in, say, Apple vs. Microsoft.
Their business works through brand awareness and loyalty, not social media word of mouth. They’re an old fashioned kind of business.
That being said, social media worth of mouth and “viral” marketing works for them, too. Not because of any fundamental change in their approach to advertising, but because they’re willing to commit to the brand they’ve created.
Yes, they’ve freely posted their commercials on Youtube where they have become viral. But that’s not the cornerstone of their strategy; it would just be crazy not to do.
Below are two examples, and you can find the whole series at the Old Spice Youtube Channel.