Say hello to the Mandroid – Old Spice’s newest pitchman
But it doesn’t matter because The Mandroid uses Old Spice products. He smells so good that a woman is willing to overlook minor details like the fact she’s talking to a hybrid creature whose face just fell off in front of her.
Old Spice has a history of producing zany, over the top commercials that often go viral, as with the renowned The Man Your Man Could Smell Like ad. Even by those standards though, the latest ads, created by Wieden + Kennedy Portland, may veer a bit too far into the bizarre for some peoples’ tastes.
The beach commercial will run on TV, while the nightclub spot will be shared online only. Several other Old Spice commercials are slated to come out over the next two months.
And if you find this crudely assembled humanoid, with his bad toupee and cheesy pick up lines, to be over the top in terms of grossness (the general consensus at out marketing agency Charlotte), then you’re reaction is intended.
According to a study published in the Journal of Marketing Research at Arizona State University’s W.P. Carey School of Business, if you really want to get people to act, disgust is much more powerful than fear.
Perhaps that’s why consumers have seen a recent slew of commercials with high gross-out factors.