We’ll say this about Old Spice’s "Double Impact" commercial – once you see it, you aren’t likely to forget it.
In the ad, a centaur – half man, half horse – is in the shower, soaping up and bragging about how he loves Old Spice’s new body wash/moisturizer because he also is two things, "a man, and a pretty smart shopper."
Our narrator then goes on to explain all the benefits of this dual-purpose product before concluding:
"It’s perfect. I should know. I’m two great things. A man…,"
".. and, a provider," concludes a woman who has just walked into the shot.
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| Old Spice |
We get that Old Spice was trying to make a joke by ignoring the centaur element, and we like that the ad doesn’t resort to the usual flashy graphics/hot women/loud music cliché that defines most ads for similar men’s products.
But seriously, "a provider"? Was this ad made in 1965? Or has Old Spice perhaps missed the last few decades, during which when women entered the workforce and also started earning paychecks?
We would have appreciated a more creative punch line.
Sexism aside, there is something to be said for a commercial that is willing to take a risk, even if some people will be too distracted by the centaur to pay attention to the brand at hand.
Old Spice also takes things even further with a Web site that shows the ad’s narrator in all sorts of odd pairings: half-octopus, half-slug, half-snake, etc. In two examples of not-so-subtle symbolism, he is also shown as half-tank and half-cannon.
Click here to go to the Web site and see the ads.
Old Spice also recently launched another new series of ads, called Swagger, that follow the more traditional formula -- use our product and you will be cool and attractive to women! If only it were that easy. Click here to watch those ads.
