A viral ad campaign turned granddad-era Old Spice into a 107%-growth body wash

Old Spice, a men's grooming brand since 1937, had by the early 2000s become a punchline — associated with grandfathers and musty bathroom cabinets and losing relevance with younger men.

In February 2010 P&G and Wieden + Kennedy launched 'The Man Your Man Could Smell Like' starring Isaiah Mustafa, then followed with a July blitz of short response videos made on camera in real time.

Nielsen data supplied by Old Spice showed body-wash sales up 11% over 12 months, 27% over six, 55% over three, and 107% in the final month — results branding campaigns rarely produce this quickly.

Nielsen data showed Old Spice Body Wash sales up 11% over 12 months, 27% over six, 55% over three and 107% in the final month after the February 2010 campaign broke.

The campaign spoke to women buying for men, expanding the audience without abandoning the brand.

Real-time YouTube responses turned a commercial into a conversation.

The humor embraced the brand's absurd heritage instead of apologizing for it.

The fix for an unfashionable brand was not a new product but a new voice: lean into the absurd, speak to the woman buying for the man, and answer the internet in real time.

Old Spice became the reference point for viral and social-media marketing, and P&G kept the character going through sequels and new formats. The brand moved from a granddad joke to a cultural staple without changing the product.