Friday, August 29, 2008

Brian Urlacher, Before and After Old Spice Swagger.

(click ad for closer look)
Print ad for Old Spice's "Swagger" scent, starring boob-grabbing Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher and his teenager Renaissance geek fake self (the idea works better as a TV spot). While I'm neither a fan of Urlacher or the Bears or even NFL football, this (somewhat ironic) anti-weakling message will definitely play well with the tough and faux-tough guys who read ESPN magazine (scanned from this week's NFL preview issue). But the ad falls well short of these recent A+ Old Spice TV commercials. previous Old Spice print ad: because of the inclusion of a freakish Anglerfish, I accept your gratuitous bikini babe.

11 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

It's good to know that even the high-school nerds can grow up to be d-bags. I think this campaign could work against the brand: there's no way in hell I'm letting any of my geeky boyfriends slap on the Old Spice now. Smelling of Brooklyn is fine with me.

1:24 PM  
Blogger copyranter said...

Hate to point out the obvious to such a smart woman, but: the ad was in ESPN mag, which ain't read by Brooklyn boys of any stripe (maybe a handful in Bay Ridge).

1:35 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This ad wouldn't appeal to them anyway, so I wouldn't be concerned if they saw it. But I read ESPN magazine (well, during basketball season), and I'll know which deodorants to leave on the shelf.

1:56 PM  
Blogger warren said...

Yeah, I'm in the "no-sale" camp on this one too. Old Spice seems to want to try to position themselves as the grown-up equivalent to Brut. Yeesh.

2:17 PM  
Blogger Sabina E. said...

what a bunch of douche-bags. Guys who think that spraying Old Spice or Axe on them will make them hotter, are such a HUGE TURN-OFF

4:38 PM  
Blogger Matt Pullman said...

I think it friggin rocks.

9:50 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

It takes a tough man to admit he owned, much less wore, never mind publishing in a nationally distributed magazine, ye olde chaine maille.

Props to the jock for not taking himself too seriously.

Signed, racer, a very burly yet completely un-athletic nerd.

1:21 PM  
Blogger copyranter said...

racer: you know that's not really Urlacher when he was young?

2:15 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Well, no, that thought hadn't actually occurred to me.

I guess I failed to spot the clever use of irony in the copy. Would I have gotten this gag if I were into sports?

2:32 PM  
Blogger copyranter said...

Yeah, probably racer. It's a very targeted ad.

5:38 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

these ads are amazing. i was at a bar the other night watching the game and the tv ad came on and they actually rewound the commercial on the DVR so everyone could watch it again. then everyone started talking about all the other Old Spice commercials they've seen.

clearly they're doing something right.

and clearly these ads aren't meant to be taken seriously.

they're doing the right thing by trying to entertain people.

8:12 PM  

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