The following advertisement contains an attractive topless man. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Most people have seen this ad for Old Spice by now. The actor, Isaiah Mustafa, now known as “the man your man could smell could like,” has become a cult celebrity, according to Advertising Age. Proctor & Gamble Co. (owner of Old Spice) estimates this commercial has reached 5.8 million views so far and Mr. Mustafa has been making his rounds on the morning and daytime talk shows. The company is loving it:
Orthodox. Faithful. Free.
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Google Trends data show the ad has generated more search on the phrase “Old Spice” than anything the brand has done since 2004 — before Wieden & Kennedy, Portland, Ore., took on the account in 2006. On Twitter, Mr. Mustafa remains merely a micro-celebrity, but has amassed more than 4,600 followers.
Mustafa tried but never made it big in the NFL, and he landed only bit roles in films and television. But he’s not just a pretty face… it was apparently his idea to appeal to women with the ad, since women are still the primary purchasers of men’s grooming products (excluding razors).
Thanks to Mustafa, it’s not your father’s Old Spice anymore.
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