Swan Dive (The Man Your Man Could Smell Like)

If (like me) you’re old enough, you’ll remember the Old Spice ads from the 1970’s. The one with the surfer confidently conquering giant waves to the sound of ‘Oh Fortuna’ while on a beach a pretty young woman looks on and gets all aroused at the whiff of Old Spice in the air.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rbZr7YoqK0&feature=related

However the reality of Old Spice was quite different. It was the sight of your dad first thing in the morning shaving in front of the mirror with his face full of soap. Once finished he’d splash the whole sorry mess in Old Spice before rushing to work looking like he’d been in a fight in a germaline factory.

Back then Old Spice was something you bought for your dad for Christmas. And he probably didn’t care what he smelt like. So any thing that covered up the odour of a hard days work would do.

But the world has moved on, Dads are now cooler, they wear deordorant. Everyday! Their razor blades are now sharp, they’re even parcial to designer clothes. And now they have wealth of smelly products to choose from with exotic sounding names like Aramis.

Your Dad could now smell like David Beckham if he wanted to. He could use a manly anti-aging cream, eye wrinkle cream and freshen up with a rejuvenating facial spritzer.

The 70’s surfer dude and his bottle of Old Spice were in retirement home in Lahinch. Old Spice had to catch up big time.

Old Spice scented body wash was launched in America on TV on Superbowl Night. The ads featured former American Football Star Isaiah Mustafa. Standing in a bathroom, dressed only in a white bath towel, with his defined torso in a confident pose he says in a deep, captivating voice,  “Hello ladies. Look at your man, now back to me. Now back at your man, now back to me. Sadly he isn’t me,”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZOm2YhOI4c

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYvQ9jgXzIk&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7e_igiPIUI

The reaction was huge, in America and across the world. Women swooned. Men sucked in their stomachs and went back to the gym. The ads went up on YouTube. Mustafa had a fan page on Facebook. He posted on twitter, he was even interviewed on Oprah.

Following the success of the TV campaign and its huge following online, the campaign was taken to the next stage. Isaiah Mustafa invited users to ask him questions or do requests online. His responses were posted on YouTube, almost immediately.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLTIowBF0kE

Behind the scenes must have been intense. Choosing requests, writing and shooting the responses and uploading it to YouTube. Mustafa had to act out up to two hundred replays over the course of one day.

The result was massive. Word spread like wildfire across dozens of social media sites. The hits on YouTube were record-breaking, sales went through the roof, and Isaiah Mustafa became a worldwide phenomenon.

Now I’m thinking I might smell like a man, man.