Man - Off ...

Two gorgeous men, advertising products and then becoming social media phenomenons.



First Fabio of Perfecto Italiano with his strange yet compelling Perfecto Italiano ads on YouTube and TV and now the newest and most innovative social media sensation Old Spice with Isaiah Mustafa.


For the past 24 hours Old Spice on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, including Yahoo has become a social media phenomenon. The original advert I linked above won the Film grand prix at the Cannes Lions.


It's not just about advertising and making a good compelling advert. It's what Old Spice did next.


Not only did he respond to celebrities' and companys' queries, he or rather the Old Spice marketing team and writers made a video for every clever question he received on his Twitter account. To date over the past 24 hours they have made in response to queries on Twitter, over 116 videos and the videos have been the most viewed and accessed today.


It's every advertising company's dream. Here is an agency which is using and maximising social media. By responding to all users from Alyssa Milano to making one of his fans really happy through a marriage proposal. 



Old Spice is all over the news, on blog posts, PR sites and has been cited by Mumbrella as the best use of social media yet.


I think it has been an original and inventive campaign and not an easy one to pull off. It needs excellent writing skills, a good representative and great response from the team.


I don't think many advertising or marketing companies could or would put so much effort and work into an advert and there is still debate about the product itself. Has Old Spice as a product changed? Some people don't seem to like Old Spice and what the product smells like and despite making the advert a social media phenomenon, I am wondering how many people are buying the body wash for themselves or for the men in their lives.


And as for Fabio and the Perfecto Italiano advertising, it looks like it is man vs man on two excellent adverts and subsequent social media phenomenons.


I can say that using humour in advertising and sort of making fun of themselves has worked brilliantly for both brands - both focusing on the perfect man or getting a woman to hope that her man smells like Isaiah.


An update ... Alyssa Milano asked the Old Spice Man to donate money to to assist a wildlife fund and they did. Impressive.