Old Spice Man: The social media marketing lessons

Consumer goods giant Procter and Gamble achieved huge success with its recent Old Spice social media campaign. David Holt looks at what other businesses can learn. 

The statistics from the Old Spice campaign in the US tell the story. P&G was having great success with a new ad campaign promoting Old Spice aftershave, featuring super-cool, American football legend Isaiah Mustafa. The campaign sees Isaiah move seamlessly from his bathroom, to a boat and onto a horse within 40 seconds as he attempts to persuade American men to stop borrowing their partner’s flowery fragrant shower gel and be a proper man by using Old Spice. This advert was aired during the American Superbowl on 7 February 2010. It soon achieved cult status and attracted 15 million views on YouTube.