Campaign: ‘Smell like a man’
Brand: Old Spice
Agency: Wieden+Kennedy
Why the campaign rocks:
Old Spice’s “The man your man could smell like” campaign is a landmark example of successful brand repositioning and category creation. Initially grappling with a perception of being outdated, Old Spice, with its 75-year legacy, addressed this challenge by launching a campaign that not only revitalised its image but also created an entirely new market segment. The brand embarked on this campaign with the aim of introducing a line of men’s body wash products. At that time, the market offered only floral and female-centric fragrances. Recognising this gap, it ventured into creating fragrances with a clear message—how a man should smell like a man.
Despite the primary market being male, the campaign strategically targeted female viewers. It astutely acknowledged that women often play a pivotal role in choosing hygiene products, even for male household members. This approach aimed to capture the attention of both genders.
Old Spice reshaped the narrative around masculinity in fragrance. The campaign gained significant traction, going viral on social media with over 40 million views on YouTube.