I am *so* not the target audience here

[redbird]

A couple of days ago, in the course of conversation, cattitude showed me one of the "Old Spice Guy" ads that came out a little while ago. (It was relevant, and I hadn't previously bothered to look at any.)

So, the thing starts "look at me. Now look at your guy. Now look at me." So I did, and I smiled at Cattitude, and then looked back at the screen. In the course of 30 seconds of boasting, the Old Spice spokesman insults "your guy" (who I like better than that random muscled stranger) and then argues that "smells like a lady" is a disadvantage. For me, if "smells like a woman" means anything, it's pleasant thoughts of adrian_turtle, so positive rather than negative. And those smell-memories aren't from scented deodorant.

I can see how this ad might work on a lot of people, but my reactions were "don't dis my beloved," "what's wrong with that?" (the "smells like a lady" part), and "I am clearly not the target market here."

This isn't a "why would anyone do that?" moment, it's a case of pop culture/marketing passing me by because I'm not what they're looking at: in purely numerical terms, an ad that works on straight women and/or men who are or want to be involved with straight women, but puzzles or alienates some bi women and our partners is worthwhile. (This is "alienates" on the level of "I am not going to suggest someone use this," not "avoid people who have anything to do with this" or even "if you enjoyed these, you're weird."

(I am not a potential customer for the product itself because, as an anti-perspirant, it contains aluminum compounds that make me break out. This does simplify choosing a deodorant.)

Comments

[liv]

I love this, it's a brilliant take-down. I am certainly not going to buy any product that pitches to me by insulting my sweetie! Also I like people who smell of people, not of perfume, and people who choose cosmetics in order to project a message about how binary their gender identity is tend to lose attractiveness points with me. I don't think I would like the ad much better even if I were straight, because it would still be starting off by insulting my boyfriend!

[jack]

FWIW I always took them as tongue in cheek, and didn't mind them at all (although the ones I saw didn't have the lady-scented body wash lines). Yes, they played to a lot of stereotypes, but the vast majority of them were so massively over the top, and not actually bad, that I didn't mind. But I agree perpetuating ANY stereotypes may still be unwise.

[adrian_turtle]

When I use antiperspirant, it's Old Spice. (I'm not surprised you're not aware of it. "What Adrian smells like at work" is not important to your memory, and the container is usually buried in the box of hair thingees on my dresser.) I recognize the misogyny of the ad campaign, but it's not offensive enough to make me stop using a product with a mild scent that's been a pleasant part of my life for decades.

Now that you've seen the commercial, you should read this.
http://oldspice-kinkmeme.dreamwidth.org/460.html?thread=12748
No, really. You should read it.

[redbird]

You were absolutely right. Thank you.

[redrose]

Didn't think very hard about the gender politics in it.

If it's the "I'm on a horse!" one, it was done in a single take, which I find impressive.

[firecat]

I thought the original ads were cute and struck a self-parodying, playful note that overrode my "Eww gender essentialism" reaction. The actor was very skillful to be able to strike that note. Also I like media that targets what they call the "female gaze," which might be more accurately called the "male bodies are beautiful gaze."

But what was really brilliant was the set of videos they created over 48 hours or so in response to Twitter comments. Their YouTube channel has more subscribers and views than any other channel.

It didn't tempt me to switch from the bath products I currently use (Trader Joe's shampoo, Dr. Bronner's soap, Fantasy Bath moisturizing bath bombs). I used to use Old Spice deodorant because I didn't care for the scent of deodorants marketed for women, but these days anything I put under my arms causes a rash, so I don't use deodorant any more.

[adrian_turtle]

The original ad targeted the female gaze (viewing the male body as desirable), and it ALSO targeted the female customer as the one with buying power. I thought that was even more interesting. It often offends me when advertisers speak to women as if they do the shopping for their households. (Why not have a young father talking about how some product makes it quick and easy for him get his kids' filthy clothes clean so he can go back out and play with them in the sunshine?)

But many companies selling men's personal-care products address men. Smell like Axe, so you can take sexual advantage of beautiful female objects. Smell like Mitchum, so everyone knows you're a Real Man, not something worthless. The idea of addressing a woman, and suggesting she buy something to decorate her man to increase her enjoyment, is a different kind of thing. Even if it's presented as enjoying silly fantasies from the covers of romance novels, to be laughed at.

[redbird]

I'm going to assume that's not spam, but I don't click through to unidentified videos (I have autoplay off and Flashblock on).

[louiseroho.livejournal.com]

1) Sorry, I didn't realize that I was not logged into LJ.
2) Here is the link again http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkd5dJIVjgM
3) It is Grover doing a version of the Old Spice add
4) You may still not be the target audience, but you will appreciate it more

[daharyn.livejournal.com]

Oh, that is a wonderful clip. Thanks for sharing it! ;-)

[quility.livejournal.com]

I am also not the target market for this ad - so I could be completely wrong - but I had been assuming that the target market didn't really agree with the muscle-bound man - but rather thought anyone that egocentric was silly. So the power of the ad is not anything he says - but that it gets the audience to laugh + make a positive association with the brand.

Why the target market finds putting down one's sweety funny - I don't know.

[kightp.livejournal.com]

While I understand your reaction, mine was different, possibly because I didn't see the ads one by one on TV, but rather in a YouTube collection. I react to them as parody, and pretty funny parody, too. That may just be my gut reaction to the actor - I find Isaiah Mustafa really, really funny in a strongly positive way. The series of YouTube Q&As he did in the persona of the Old Spice Guy - dozens of them over about a week - is hilarious.

I would not, however, buy Old Spice as a result of the ad campaign. Even when I had a sense of smell, I had an aversion to Old Spice, because my father wore it.

[amaebi.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the data on what the whole Old Spice guy thing is! I never bothered to look either. And as someone who suddenly just realized she could identify her sexuality as feminist, anyway-- beyond that it's "I don't know, queer or straight ally, but I'm not that into the gonads as such"-- it sounds repugnant.

[adrian-turtle.livejournal.com]

You would probably enjoy this text-based parody.
http://oldspice-kinkmeme.dreamwidth.org/460.html?thread=12748
(I posted the link in a comment on DW, but some people here might appreciate it too.)

The target-audience for the ad is not actually bisexual women (it's that invisibility thing), much less bisexual women whose female partners have been using Old Spice for decades* (because that's too small a group to make any money.) I don't believe they expected their target audience to view women's bodies with contempt, though. They were addressing WOMEN--het women who buy personal-care products for their partners as part of doing general household shopping. The idea of "decorate your man with this stuff, for your enjoyment," isn't altogether repugnant, especially in the context of other ads for related products.

*Redbird wasn't aware that I use it, because I think of it as something to wear to work, not something to wear to bed. And because she and I tend to socialize in spaces that discourage scented products to accommodate people with allergies.

[maryread.livejournal.com]

I found the series on YouTube very funny. But I was reading the first actual commercial as a send-up of the sex-specific expectations that pop culture lays on Manly Men in particular, to entertain their Ladies with their skilled handiwork, bring them bouquets and gifts, remember birthdays, light candles, walk on the beach, perform various feats of prowess, and so on. That most men are not actually competing on those matters makes the Old Spice guy's superior competence (and smell) absurd. And he's on a horse. Non sequitur?

Horsie!

The production videos are fascinating, as they show how the whole thing was shot in a single take, with various sets moving in and out around the actor.

Also, in the YouTube series in one he had the audacity to offer his advice to the President. Not only product.

[pantryslut.livejournal.com]

The Old Spice ads read to me as completely camp and deliciously undermining of a whole lot of heterosexual tropes. I do not think it is supposed to work on a literal level at all.

[papersky.livejournal.com]

They once (1970s) had a British TV ad where a man surfed in to shore to "O Fortuna!"

This was the first time I had heard "O Fortuna!" and so I have always felt positive about Old Spice, not that I've ever had anything more to do with it.

[rysmiel.livejournal.com]

I too took it as intentionally sending up rather than supporting a bunch of the unpleasant gender tropes to which it is referring.

I had a link to a parody of that featuring Cthulhu a little bit ago, here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xc90UhV6hJA) should anyone be interested and have missed it.