What you can take from a bit of Old Spice

Can we talk about the Old Spice campaign? By now you probably know it works. It’s gone viral. People love it. If you haven’t seen it go to YouTube and check it out now. I’ll wait. But you probably have, it’s old news.

So why do I bring it up? Because,  is it not the most clever campaign ever? The campaign is such a turn from the product’s stuffy image and that’s the whole point.

A few weeks ago I was watching the World Cup Finals in a pub with about a hundred other people. The commercial comes on and the room goes silent and then giggling. Lots of giggling. From all the women in the place. They loved it. Why does any of this matter to you?

Here’s my point. So many businesses are afraid to step out of the box. Afraid of dusting off that stuff image because someone told them that’s how to be professional. That’s not true anymore. People respond to a little craziness in the advertising they see.

When I was a youngin there was a car salesman and his slogan was “Go See Cal,” with a catchy tune and his gig was “I’ll stand on my head to give you a good deal.” And he would proceed to do just that. On an elephant. Wearing a cowboy suit. (He wore the suit, not the elephant.) I still remember those commercials. And he did a lot of business.

Outrageous ads stick in people’s minds. Remember that next time you are tempted to limit your marketing to a simple press release, or basic ad. Next time don’t be afraid to use your imagination. I’m on a horse.