"If you've ever wondered who owns the Internet, I can tell you right now — it's the Old Spice guy," writes Dave Taylor in The Vancouver Sun. The brand's astonishingly successful ad campaign starring Isaiah Mustafa "bridges traditional and social media, and then goes viral. It just doesn't get any better than that." Still, the basic approach doesn't break new ground. The Old Spice guy is just the latest "embodiment of a new archetype" that emerged in post-war advertising: "The Ironic Man," who himself evolved from the earnest "Pitch Man" of the 1950s. By acknowledging their sales shtick, these antecedents helped jaded consumers swallow their pitches with a spoonful of sugar and certain no-baloney bluntness. But will Old Spice's iteration of this persona, asks Taylor, usher in a slew of imitators? Here, an excerpt:
While some corporate executives are wringing their baby-soft hands about the death of advertising, other companies are stepping up their game. The success of the Ironic Man as an archetype shows that while consumers are savvier than ever, they will buy into your world if you create one that's relevant to them and makes them part of the equation.
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.
-
Foreigners in Spain facing a 100% tax on homes as the country battles a housing crisisUnder the Radar The goal is to provide 'more housing, better regulation and greater aid,' said Spain's prime minister
-
Sudoku hard: January 22, 2025The Week's daily hard sudoku puzzle
-
Codeword: January 22, 2025The Week's daily codeword puzzle
