One of my favorite advertising campaigns ever was the “the man your man could smell like” campaign from Old Spice.
Something about the humor of the ad really works even though it is pretty random. There is nothing funnier to me than someone on a horse for no reason other than to be on a horse—and of course the voice of the actor really works well with the humor of the script.
When I first watched the ad, it was not on TV during the Super Bowl (although it was eventually aired.) This is one of the first ads I remember from YouTube.
YouTube ads are super interesting because they are algorithmically driven rather than a general blanket advertisement that appeals to a general audience.
What I really like about YouTube ads is that they are tailored and often directed by your choices on videos and polls.
Going back to the Old Spice Ad, I remember seeing it everywhere—TV, social media, billboards— the campaign was everywhere and it became a part of pop-culture.
I think that the most important part of advertising in the modern era is to make a memorable ad that can be referenced in a multitude of ways. Staying power impacts the perception of the product more than anything else.
