Can you imagine being the marketing manager who recommended this ad campaign?  And yet it proves the power of looking for new avenues for growth.   Here’s the ad:

The Man Your Man Could Smell Like: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owGykVbfgUE

Old Spice targeted the women of the men who will use their body wash, saying don’t let them use your girly soap.  What did Old Spice have to lose?  To baby boomers, Old Spice is the scent for Old Uncle Otto.  Now it’s totally relevant to women and hip.

And the results:

• 5,736,345 views on youtube as of today.
• Per AdAge Jim Stengel, P&G’s former CMO says: “Old Spice was in decline. They have now turned that around. It is growing. Axe has not only stopped growing. Axe is in decline.”
• Comment on youtube:  “best commercial of life!!!”

While it may not be the best ever, it does make me want to watch every time I see it on TV (or pull it up on youtube every so often!)

What do you think?