Selling Men’s Body Wash to Women
Before 2010, Old Spice body wash was most popular with older men. Because of this, it lacked a ‘coolness factor’ other body wash companies had due to the brand being associated with aging men. No teenager wants to smell like their grandfather, and as a result the Old Spice sales were dwindling and their brand image was dying.
Old Spice’s grasp on the market continued to perish until their viral marketing campaign, “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like”, catapulted them back into relevance. Increasing year sales by nearly 30% and over doubling that month’s sales, this campaign is considered one of the most successful viral campaigns of all time. Due to the commercial’s instant internet popularity, Old Spice launched a subsequent “Ask the Old Spice Man” campaign that continued to attract customers. In total, their YouTube channel has reached half a billion users.
The Old Spice commercial was so successful because it differentiated its brand from the other large body wash companies. While other companies, such as Axe, advertised their products as smells that will attract women, Old Spice advertised as something that women would want the men in their lives to smell like. Instead of advertising to the teenage boy who did not really know what he wanted, they marketed to his mother who inevitably buys the product for him. Instead of advertising to the man in his mid-twenties, they marketed to his wife or girlfriend that wants him to look and smell his best. The idea of smelling manly was sold to the women which is why it was so successful.
The easiest way to represent the success of the cascades that followed the viral campaign is to look at a typical family of four: a husband, wife, and two sons. Pretend they all use the same brand of body wash or deodorant, let it be called Irish. Now if Axe had a successful campaign that convinced the elder son to switch in attempts to attract girls, it would be unlikely for the other two men in the family to switch. The youngest son isn’t buying his own, the father is not going to switch for no reason as it is easier to continue along his ways. Now with Old Spice’s technique, the product is advertised to the wife. Now she wants all three men in the family to switch to this new ‘cool’ manly deodorant which all women want their men to smell like.
A miniature family cascade will happen. They’re all going to switch. Resulting in a doubling of Old Spice sales in a month and 30% growth over a single year, one of the most successful viral marketing campaigns that’s cheap production consisted of a towel, a fake bathroom, and a horse.
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