Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Old Spice TVC - I'm on a horse

Q - First of all, what is an ad for Old Spice doing on a Social Media blog?
A - It could well be the most viral (blogged, shared, YouTubed) ad of 2010.

Simply because it's a wickedly awesome TV commercial that makes you fall for it the first time you watch it. (*Love at first frame.) Not only does it keep you rivetted from start to finish, it has you laughing out loud.





It uses a powerful film technique where the protagonist speaks to the viewer in first person - taking full charge of the narrative by talking directly into the camera. Opens on this rock-solid dude (more on him later) talking product benefit as scenarios morph seamlessly and props drop in suddenly - without digressing or diluting the humour.

Indeed, a rare ad that combines expert story-telling and crafty film-making. The true genius of this flick is in its taut, quick-paced edit.

Once you've got a good thing going, recreate the magic in half the time...





For more dope on the ad, check out the interview with Craig Allen & Eric Kallman of Wieden+Kennedy, Portland, the guys behind this gem of an ad.





I guess a lot of the credit for this ad goes to the flawless timing and delivery of its main man. He is Isaiah Mustafa, a former NFL footballer (that explains the godly bod). Since appearing in the Old Spice ad (Feb 2010), Isaiah's become a Twitter phenom, made it on The Ellen Show and even has his own page on Wikipedia. Indeed, he's on a horse!


*Love at first frame - Now I know I've used that phrase before. That was for the Sony GT4 ad which once again, is a rare blend of fine story-telling and killer film-making. (Click here to view the ad)

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