Old Spice: We're Wild And Craaaaazy Guys!

When the Old Spice guy ad campaign was being heralded as the ad campaign your ad campaign could viral like, we wondered exactly where the brand was going with the messaging. Sure, the Old Spice Guy was popular and there was a clear boost in sales, but what was the long-term brand message here?
Now, with the release of W+K's latest Old Spice ad, starring NFL star Ray Lewis, we finally know how Old Spice is positioning its brand: Completely Crazy![more]The new Wieden+Kennedy ad for the P&G-owned brand (above) features Baltimore Ravens star linebacker Ray Lewis who... well… just watch it. Clearly timed for the launch of the new NFL football season, the ad has all the calling cards of Old Spice's hit campaign. Absurdity. Whimsy. Over-the-top dialogue. An African American man. Yet it has none of the original's charm. The award-winning Old Spice campaign that kicked off with this year's Super Bowl specifically targeted women with a sexy model who, yes, was a former wide receiver in the NFL, but more importantly had a great sense of humor, impeccable timing and comedic chops.
The new ad with Lewis features an NFL linebacker (with none of Mustafa's charisma) who is probably best known to women as the guy suspected of murdering his girlfriend. Beyond the questionable casting decisions, the only through-line here for the Old Spice brand is "We're crazy!" And from an advertising perspective, that's great; it loosens up creatives to shake up the typically nap-inducing commercials of the NFL season. As avid football fans, we look forward to a wide variety of incomprehensible Old Spice ads breaking up Kansas City Chiefs safety calls. But from a branding perspective, what kind of aspiration does being whacky and unpredictable translate to? Unless that is what Old Spice wants its consumers to aspire to, in which case: well played Old Spice, well played indeed.
Next up: John Madden?Decorating for Christmas