The Young-Old Spice

Sex sells! The half naked man in the bathroom sells as well. With over 31,244,240 views on YouTube, the Old Spice commercial has topped many of the commercials that I have seen in the past year.

Aside from being hilarious, Isaiah Mustafa gives the feeling of sexy sarcasm. Though Old Spice is typically meant for men, the commercial is focused more on the woman (or man) in the man’s life.

It seems to me that the purpose of this commercial and others like it is to reposition the product in consumers’ minds. Old Spice is typically for older men, but the commercial brings the young, sexy side into the mix, though this does not change the “old people smell” of the actual product.

The commercial is filled with random lines and scenes that do not have a specific connection, which adds to the mystery and humor of the advertisement. 

The exact words from the commercial are: “Hello, ladies, look at your man, and now back to me. Now back at your man, and now back to me. Sadly, he isn’t me, but if he stopped using ladies scented body wash and switched to Old Spice, he could smell like he’s me. Look down, back up, where are you? You’re on a boat with the man your man could smell like. What’s in your hand, back at me. I have it, it’s an oyster with two tickets to that thing you love. Look again, the tickets are now diamonds! Anything is possible when your man smells like Old Spice and not a lady. I’m on a horse.”

Subliminal Messages???

I did not notice the intensity of the persuasion in the commercial until I read the article On Sumbliminal Manipulation and that Old Spice Commercial.

It points out the fact that the props used in the commercial have meanings within themselves, which I am sure are subliminal to the average consumer. For example, diamonds mean marriage and wealth, while a horse symbolizes grace, beauty, and freedom.

This, along with the half-naked man with a mesmerizing voice and humor has the ability to grab the attention of millions. I am not sure whether the video was popular because of the “sexy” Isaiah Mustafa or because it was not similar to the commercials we are used to. What I do know is that sex, and “sexy” DOES sell. 

Click here to view an interview with Isaiah Mustafa which gives details on how he creates his commercials and how he started doing them.