Fabio: The new Old Spice guy?
The harlequin hunk takes on Isaiah Mustafa's scent-hawking role — and comes off smelling slightly foul

The video: It was just last summer that hunky former NFL player Isaiah Mustafa spawned an award-winning viral advertising phenom as the ironically smooth-talking "Old Spice guy," more than doubling sales of Old Spice body wash. In December, a second round of ads featuring Mustafa launched, to fading acclaim. Now, there's a newer Old Spice guy: The charmingly stilted, aging Italian hunk Fabio, best known for brandishing his tresses and gracing romance-novel covers. Fabio stars in a series of four rather nonsensical spots at NewOldSpiceGuyFabio.com. (Watch one below.) A spokesman for parent company Procter & Gamble insists that Mustafa is still in the picture: "Fabio has not replaced Isaiah, but it's obvious Fabio feels that he can do the job."
The reaction:This is a "battle between the legendary joke that is Fabio and the self-mocking Mustafa," says KaShawn Archer at The Atlanta Post. Or, as Reid Jermyn at AdNews puts it, "a bittersweet rivalry lifted straight from the pages of a Mills & Boon novel." No contest, says Morgan Shanahan at BlogHer. "Isaiah Mustafa created one of the most memorable spokespeople of our time... And well Fabio?" He would seem to best known for being hit in the nose with a bird while riding a roller coaster. Judge for yourself:
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
The rise and rise of VTubers
Under The Radar This anime-inspired internet subculture is going global
By Abby Wilson
-
Book reviews: 'The Thinking Machine: Jensen Huang, Nvidia, and the World’s Most Coveted Microchip' and 'Who Is Government? The Untold Story of Public Service'
Feature The tech titan behind Nvidia's success and the secret stories of government workers
By The Week US
-
Mario Vargas Llosa: The novelist who lectured Latin America
Feature The Peruvian novelist wove tales of political corruption and moral compromise
By The Week US