Old Spice has kicked off a new brand campaign promoting the importance of “Smelf confidence,” the ability to feel secure in yourself and your smell 24/7. The Proctor and Gamble brand used the Super Bowl as the stage for launch, but did not purchase a TV Spot. Instead they created a mascot to make the rounds in the week leading up to the big game to activate on the ground in Arizona.
“After making an impression on our team during his background performance during the commercial shoot, we were struck by the idea of how mascots are probably the most in-need of our 24/7 long-lasting freshness, especially at one of the most stressful, high-intensity events of the year, the Super Bowl,” said Matt Krehbiel, Old Spice’s vice president at Procter & Gamble.
“To pressure test this, we promoted the first-ever mascot from the latest campaign, Swaggy Spice, and have sent him to Phoenix for Super Bowl festivities,” Krehbiel continued. “We decided to take him from the screen to real life with stylish accessories to help us deliver the same odor/sweat protection to the masses at one of the most stressful, high-intensity events of the year delivering freshness all day and Swagger all night.”
Swaggy Spice had a busy schedule during Super Bowl week in Phoenix. He handed out samples to fans in attendance at the festivities, he schmoozed with NFL player partners on Radio Row and he attended the NFL Honors on Thursday with special date Kay Adams.
In addition to the on-the-ground effort, Old Spice created two musical theater-inspired ad spots starring Swaggy. The first spot, “Soliloquy,” is airing on national television, as well as on YouTube, Vevo, TikTok, and Reddit.
“The campaign was inspired by the idea that when the pressure is on, and it feels like you’re under a spotlight, everything is amplified,” explained Krehbiel. “The tiniest bit of doubt can send you spiraling. Just as the smallest bit of confidence can make the biggest difference. Fortunately, Old Spice Swagger provides 24/7 long-lasting freshness with daily use, giving guys more than enough confidence to keep their cool, no matter the occasion.”
The campaign targets men, which is the sweet spot for NFL games, according to YouGov.
“Old Spice wants guys everywhere to feel confident when under the spotlight so the audience for this campaign is guys, especially young men, who persistently worry about smelling bad,” said Krehbiel “It was inspired by the insight that we can usually count on others to tell us if something is out of place. Maybe we have something in our teeth, or a spot on our shirt, but no one will tell us if we smell, leaving us wondering in those make-or-break moments, ‘do I smell right now?’ If you can’t be confident that others will tell you that you smell bad, then you need to be really confident in your grooming products.”
