When you think of Old Spice, who do you see? Probably the towel-wearing Isaiah Mustafa, former NFL player known for his velvety-voiced commercials directed at female viewers.
Well move over, Isaiah. Exploding onto TV screens is buff and bald Terry Crews, another former NFL player promoting Old Spice products, with a zanier twist. Where Mustafa composes poetry and offers gifts to the "ladies," Crews literally bursts into commercials, crashing through walls and throwing punches and kicks. Crews presents an entirely new take on the Old Spice spokesperson, under the direction of comedic duo Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim (known for Adult Swim sensation "Tim and Eric Awesome Show: Great Job!").
The bulging, yelling Crews accompanies explosions and, true to the Tim and Eric in-your-face style, stretches, distorts, and otherwise presents the bizarre in new Old Spice commercials.
The commercials have certainly garnered new attention for the Old Spice brand. But why replace wildly successful Mustafa? Although "Old Spice Guy" was extremely popular, taking a new direction can earn even more attention. So Old Spice made a very bold move in hiring Tim and Eric to market their craziness to the masses. Both Mustafa and Crews' characters encourage consumers to associate Old Spice with humor, albeit two very different kinds. The switch seems to work for Old Spice. The brand maintains a common message and theme, changing only how it's delivered. Mustafa creates appeal for significant others of Old Spice users, while Tim and Eric's Crews oozes burly masculinity for the men put off by Mustafa's lover-not-fighter attitude.
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