Will Ferrell, one of the most tireless–some would say shameless–promoters on Hollywood’s A-list, stars in a series of jocular TV spots pitching Procter & Gamble’s newest addition to the Old Spice product line, Pro Strength antiperspirant. The spots help raise the profile of Farrell’s R-rated “Semi-Pro,” while reaching the young male consumers P&G covets.
The actor ad-libbed much of the material in the eight ads during a daylong shoot, signing off with such politically incorrect tag lines as “Don’t smell like a turtle cage” and “The finest street-legal antiperspirant you can get outside of Mexico that’s not poisonous.”
The campaign is the latest move aimed at reinvigorating the Old Spice brand. P&G has reached out to younger males with grass-roots marketing, replacing the clipper ship on the cologne bottle with a sleek racing yacht and adding product lines such as High Endurance and Red Zone. “What was a sleepy brand has become a fantastic growth story,” says
James Moorhead, Old Spice brand manager.
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Will Ferrell smells good to Old Spice – Los Angeles Times
The pitchman calls himself Jackie Moon, but he is unmistakably Will Ferrell in character as the 1970s basketball player from his upcoming comedy “Semi-Pro,” complete with Afro, headband and short shorts.
Everyone sweats six liters a day, he explains, glowering into the camera from a locker room.
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