After browsing multiple ads on the Internet, I decided to describe the Old Spice: The Man Your Man Can Smell Like ad. About three years ago the ad gained national recognition and became one of the most popular TV ads of that year. The ad also currently has over 46,000,000 views on YouTube. Due to the success of the original TV ad, many Old Spice ads have followed the same format and narration as the original ad to this day. These are some of the main reasons why Old Spice is a leading brand in men’s body care today.
The main target demographic of this ad would be geared towards men who are aged 18-50. Nationality as well as Ethnicity would not be a factor as the ad falls under the men’s body care category. Although, Lifestyle and Occupation would be that of an individual who prefers to take good care of his body, is adventurous at heart, exerts confidence and is either a competitive student or has a goal oriented career.
The main strategy used in this ad includes: The constant reference of the consumer (myself) and the male model in the ad. Throughout the entire duration of the ad a comparison is being made by how he (the model) presents himself in such a glorified fashion, while the consumer (myself) is just referenced as an Average Joe. The ad naturally attracts my attention because it relates to cultural norms and values in ways that society expects our target demographic to look and feel about our bodies.
Chapter 12 from the textbook states, “Identity can also be formed by things such as height, weight, attractiveness, and so on.” It also reads, “Gender is central to identity, and gender socialization is one of the earliest processes of interpellation.” These quotes relate to the Old Spice ad because the male model “identity” represents what the average Joe would want to feel like after using the product.
Citations:
Media and Society. 5th Ed., written by O’Shaughnessy, M., Stadler, J. (Page 184)
Media and Society. 5th Ed., written by O’Shaughnessy, M., Stadler, J. (Page 185)
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