April 30, 2010
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Old Spice in New Bottles
I recently had to purchase some new deodorant, as I had heard that 30-year-olds should really use anti-perspirant. Being a first-time buyer (ok, yes, I'm joking), I headed towards the deoderant shelf and perused my options. I found myself deciding to buy two cans of Old Spice and one can of a generic variety. It seemed wasteful to also buy the two cans of Old Spice when I just needed one can, but I did so anyway without really remembering why. It just seemed right.
That evening, I headed to dinner with a friend, who had just watched a movie. She complained that two of her friends were still making decisions on what movie to watch based on what some Christian movie review site had said. "It's only PG-13. I don't understand why Christians have so many rules" she fumed. I gently nodded my head and then proceeded to call her a heathen and make fun of her Southern-style Christianity. It's part of my classy nature when dealing with women.
Yesterday, I suddenly remembered why buying Old Spice suddenly felt so right and normal. It's because of this:
Viewing that commercial had embedded in my mind that Old Spice is a fun, interesting product that would make me fun and interesting. So when I was tempted to buy it, there was no hesitation, because TV had already shown me how cool the product was. Once I saw the product positively displayed, I wanted to buy it, even though I have nothing in common with the funny handsome spokesman for the product.
In completely unrelated news, neither I or my friend are as smart as we think we are.
Comments (35)
HAHA That sexy black man could make me buy any product. Old Spice smells pretty good.
For the slowpokes in the audience, marketing works because humans are not very smart. If I show you enough commercials of how awesome my product is, you'll break down and buy it because you only know positive things about the product. It's why late-night infomercials are so successful.
So why do we pretend this doesn't apply to the movies we watch? If all the cool characters in the movies we watch drink, swear, have sex, etc., won't we also start doing the same things? And if you, being a person of high moral standards, have promised not to do some of those things...why are you watching movies where those characteristics are praised?
Such is the nature of advertising.
Hmm... so you smell like that guy now? That must automatically make you funnier.
@ShimmerBodyCream - @Thatslifekid - Ooh, wait, I forgot; if you are gullible enough to entrust in advertising, yes, I use the SAME Old Spice as he does. LAAAAADIEEEEESSSS, come hither.
@GreekPhysique - I can smell you from here. Oooh its hard to resist.
So if you smell like him now are you going to show us your video of it? You might look good in a nice dark brown.
this is really funny!!
I know its not really related but I'm stuck on the conversation you had with your friend. I don't know the people or the movie that your friend was talking about but personally there are some things that I'd prefer to not let into my mind. Christian movie reviews help me not to be surprised in that respect and think "hmm, wow. I didn't realize that that was going to be in this movie, I wish that wasn't embedded into my mind for a long time now."
Just my thoughts
I don't use old spice (obviously) and I doubt I ever would want or need to buy it but I honestly love their commercials. They really are hilarious. my favorite one is the Freshershist one. too funny.
I actually find that most ads deter me from wanting the product. This is typically due to the ads being very stupid and irritating. I also sometimes see ads and am disinterested purely because of the all positive image they convey. Then again rarely do I ever react to things in a way that would typically be expected.
He's as persuasive as Bruce Campbell. Goddamn that's a good looking man.
Spice-a-licious.
@GreekPhysique - Although a great ad would make me CONSIDER a product more than another product (see my facebook statuses), I wouldn't mindlessly go for said product. Always do my research and comparisons first and consider what I really like.
I get what you are trying to say about there being subliminal messages and I certainly think that sometimes this is the case, but I don't think everyone is so stupid they get brainwashed into doing and buying things they don't want all the time.
"So why do we pretend this doesn't apply to
the movies we watch? If all the cool characters in the movies we watch
drink, swear, have sex, etc., won't we also start doing the same
things? And if you, being a person of high moral standards, have
promised not to do some of those things...why are you watching movies
where those characteristics are praised? "
John, I think you are really reaching on this one. You know me. I do curse. It's not because people in movies do it. It's because those words bring certain points across. They add levels to my writing voice HAHA. I don't think it makes me more or less classy or morally corrupt to use a particular word.
And people drink and have sex and do drugs in movies. I've been watching those movies for years and years, but have never engaged in most of those showcased behaviors. It's called personal choice and I'm not alone. I don't think most kids watch a movie over and over and suddenly decide they want to engage in those behaviors, either. Certainly some personalities are influenced more than others, but I don't think we can generalize so heavily here and blame it on all of the televised images we see.
You should really read The Tipping Point, which discusses why and how people are influenced by the people and images around them. It's more in depth than believing that simply because we see something means it will catch on through process of repetition. What makes an idea catch on like wildfire. Why do kids smoke? It's not because they see it in movies. It's because of their peers. These "cool kids" with certain personalities, certain levels of influence, etc.
Lol, sorry, you know I have nothin' but love for ya boo, just had to say what I was feeling!
Those commercials made me want to buy Old Spice.
They're doing their jobs right. ;D
He's too awesome.
@GreekPhysique - not gonna lie tho.. that stuff does smell good!
p.s. I agree with everything you said in this comment.
The only commercials that really appeal to me are the witty ones. For example, this one would count. However, sometimes they try too hard and it just doesn't work. On a side note...my man has always used Old Spice. Yum yum!
Mmm, Old Spice. <3 ;]
I bought my hubby some Old Spice body wash today!
@heyjulsiscoo - Aww, you know you're one of my favorites too, and big hugs to you.
I really appreciate that finally SOMEONE challenged me on this post. That said, MONSTER! YOU ARE SO WRONG! :-p
Ok, first, I am a cynical, over-analytical creep, and even I gladly bought two bottles of Old Spice just because of some guy on a horse. Lame. So I think you underestimate the power of marketing already. I mean, look at all the junk women like just because some aging slut on Sex and The City said it was hot. :-p
Unfair digs aside, I agree with you that yes, most of us aren't going to rush to have sex after just one viewing of one movie. There are plenty of other reasons to swear rather than "That one guy in that one movie dropped the f-bomb." But also, I hope you appreciate the delayed effect of movies and ads. I had seen that Old Spice ad months before, and yet it still had an effect on my purchase months later. It's not that it's subliminal. It's that it enters the subconscious and stays there. Once we see something once or do something once, it's a lot easier to repeat that pattern.
Haha the marketing scheme worked on you!
I remember seeing Old Spice commercials on tv all the time when I was little, and I thought it was something for old men. but then, when you're 5 years old I guess all guys seem like old men lol. I think my dad used to use Old spice after shave, so I think it would be kinda creepy if my man used Old Spice. Thankfully he doesn't 
There one where he's riding on the horse backwards, and he says something like, "I bet you didn't know that I'm riding this horse backwards."
Sure, the commercials are great, but how could you still buy that thing after a single whiff? I'd rather tolerate pit odor than smell Old Spice. Okay, that's a lie. Seriously -- if your pits smell like shit, please don't come near me. It's a strong, pungent, penetrating odor that stings my nose.
Hm. I'm glad I don't watch commercials. But hey, old spice is better than B.O. any day!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA *Im on a horse* ... This made me laugh hysterically and it's 8:30 in the morning, annd I am at work.. Priceless. Thank you for that... && Southern Christian's are just as hilarious and ridiculous! (I say that confidently being that I went to a southern church in NC when I went to college!) Haha Anyywayysss. Funny post.
One of my favorite commercials!! Consumerism at it's finest hahha
I use to buy Old Spice regularly but now found a lemon scented Raid - may as well kill 2 birds with one stone.
I love Old Spice. Even without the gorgeous guy-commercial.
i was using old spice before their commercials got to be so great. but the commercials have helped to keep me using their products. i figure if they're willing to put forth the effort to make such entertaining commercials, they deserve my 4 bucks.
Of course advertising works effectively. Why else would Big Tobacco have spent billions of dollars over the years to make their product seem desirable? And it's mostly the way the commercials are designed and directed - cigarettes, and so on, are depicted as conveying a certain sort of class and distinction to the users. In my opinion, lies and half-truths are used in this advertising, and a gullible public swallows the whole thing!
Your Old Spice is probably okay, but the same technique is used in the advertising. And people definitely do go to the store (maybe now, maybe later) and purchase it. I have an Old Spice shaving mug that I bought years ago, because of the pleasant association in my mind of the item with the sailing ship depicted in the advertising.
This is a really interesting post!
I loooooove this commercial! I definitely lol whenever I see it on TV. Some ladies think you're handsome and interesting without a special deodorant. But apparently subliminal messaging works.
I laughed so hard the first time I saw that commercial! And I think it's true that "by beholding we become changed." It can be intentional or unintentional. Hopefully, more of the former than the latter.
mmm, i love the smell of old spice
Oh, that ad just made me laugh so hard!
Feeling to lazy to address the deeper issues about marketing and movies.
I just realized I smell like a lady.
Time to make a change.
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