Subtitles are an important part of any activity. The Old Spice controversial spot proves it.
Maybe you already know that the Old Spice marketing policy is to position the brand as a joker.
On this year Grammy Awards the Wieden + Kennedy agency and the brand director – Janine Miletic decided to go beyond all expectations. They launched quite a confusing ad spot filmed entirely in French with the brand name uttered continuously in panic. The idea behind its creation was to generate lots of curiosity and chatter on social media. And not to miss the chance to parody the existing fancy fragrance ads.
Undoubtedly, to use a pricey 60 seconds on a major award-show broadcast to tell a story most of your viewing audience won’t understand is a very confident and brave decision.
The subtitled version hit Old Spice’s social channels right after the TV spot aired, but the brand has no plans to post the one without subtitles.
Mission completed: the subtitles did make the spot easier to understand but that was not the main goal actually. The bold move managed to place the brand right in the spotlight and it is an ongoing discussion months after the Grammy show.
Good job, Old Spice.
You can watch the ad here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=cZV6ebHoJ08
Source: AdWeek