This was a piece of work I produced a few years ago analysing the visual advertisement techniques in Old Spice's 'smell like a man, man' campaign.
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This essay will examine the techniques used in the advertising of Old Spice body-wash during the campaign 'smell like a man, man'. Firstly, it will provide a description on why this advertisement was chosen to be examined for its techniques, who it targets, and why only one advertisement from the campaign was selected to highlight. Next the essay will explain the use of the assumption that males in society are less competent than the man being portrayed in the advert, and why the humorous nature of the advertisement is required to deflect some of the tension associated with males being portrayed this way for a male product. Following this the focus will shift towards the use of the 'female gaze' to sell this product and the associated assumption of male desirability that this advertisement is using to target a female audience, thus convincing them to buy this product for their partners. Finally, it will examine the advertisements signs and what picture they tell us about the products desirability and the what it tells us about the way the advertisers have positioned the product to assume characteristics associated with an idealised form of masculinity and social class mobility.
The old spice campaign titled 'smell like a man, man', unusually for a male product, targeted a female audience as the old spice advertisers recognised that a large percentage of male health and beauty products were brought by females for their partners. This targeting of females offers some interesting variations and observations for the advertising campaign compared to a more traditional targeting of males for male hygiene products, and these variations in the techniques will be examined in this essay. The advertising campaign 'smell like a man, man' initially consisted of three advertisements for old spice shower gel, although this expanded to a series of web based advertisements which ran for a much longer period of time. For the purpose of this essay I will only focus on the initial television advertisement 'Smell like a man, man', although I may touch upon the other two television adverts in this campaign, as these had a much larger audience, many similarities, and clearer techniques used by the advertisers, than the web based ads utilised. The web advertisements largely played off their initial popularity in the process parodying the original adverts.
The advert plays on the relationship between males and females in society, with the assumption in the advertisement that the idealised form of masculinity, for the female audience, is personified by the male in the advertisement. The male moves through the advertisement and performs a series of tasks that are considered to be ideal traits in a male. With the assumption being that no other man can live up to these expectations, but he can at least be more like this idealised male if he uses old spice body-wash. The portrayal of the idealised male in this advertisement works in opposition to the assumption of the female audiences incompetent male partner, for the purpose of generating a humorous attitude towards both the male in the advertisement and the male figure in real life. This incompetence amongst males, in advertising through the utilisation of humour, is a technique noted by Elliott and Wootton who, when writing about the portrayal of gender in television advertising, particularly chocolate advertising, stated that “stylings of men in ads which show them as prone to incompetence and ineptitude usually exploit forms of humour in which such ineptitude plays a central role” (Elliott and Wootton, 1997; 449). Although in this advertisement, the male is portrayed far from being inept and is shown perform a number of tasks with a high level of skill and ability, the humour is derived from the audience participating in the acknowledgement that this form of masculinity is unattainable for most men. Thus, its humour is derived upon this from the opening lines of the first commercial in this campaign, where the protagonist asks the female audience to engage in this narrative, saying “Hello ladies, look at your man, now back to me, now back at your man, now back to me. Sadly he isn't me, but if he stop using lady scented body-wash and switched to old spice he could smell like he's me”. Even though this advertisement is aimed at women, the product is for male consumption, as such the advertisement is set in a parody situation to avoid awkwardness with male audiences. This technique attempts to eliminate the risk of male alienation from the product being sold by offering a comedic element to the male viewing of this idealised form of masculinity. Men may feel uncomfortable with gazing upon the male physique within the advertisement if it offers a challenge to their heterosexuality, this could lead to a sense of sexual insecurity associated with the product, to avoid this the advertisements comedy allows the male viewer to not feel threatened by the male body on show through its use of comedy. As stated by Steinman with regards to this technique “risk is low, since parody is not erotic” (Steinman, 1992; 203).
This assumption assumes that the viewer and target audience for this advertisement wants this form of masculinity and requires the audience to subscribe to the hetero-normative values outlined by the advertisement. Throughout the advertisement the male, through both his actions and language, is asking the female audience if they want this man, it is playing on the assumption that this form of idealised masculinity is the version of masculinity that the female audience would desire of their 'men', by repeatedly asking whether they desire this man. This is achieved through his feats, abilities, and his knowledge of stereotypical female desires. This is further enhanced by utilizing the 'female gaze' over the males body, unusually for a male product, rather than the 'male gaze' typically being used to advertise men's products, such as Lynx. The male in the advertisement is seen throughout all three versions standing and walking topless through the scenery whilst performing his desirable tasks, the chiselled physique of the man, who alerts the audience to it through his speech, is on show allowing the audience to take control over their gaze and become active participants in the sexualised nature of his body. Within this advertisement campaign the male on show offers all of the qualities associated with the idealised form of masculinity that the female audience is told to desire in media portrayals of masculinity. As Suzanne Moore writes “he is tough but tender, masculine but sensitive – he can cry, cuddle babies and best of all buy cosmetics. He is not afraid to be seen caring but mostly he cares about how he looks” (Moore, 1988; 45). The 'female gaze' in this advertisement, speaks to the predominantly female audience of desirability, they are allowed into this man’s world to gaze upon his body, to listen to his reassuring words of lovingness and accept his gifts. The scenery plays a large part in creating a desirability for this man, and as a result the promise that this product will offer the women if she buys it for her man, with carefully selected locations including expensive boats, exotic locations, dream homes, even the voyeuristic appeal of the shower all appealing to the lifestyle aspirations of the females this advert is targeting. These locations and subtle hints at the economic or cultural capital of the man in question, in addition to his looks, appeal to the female audience as Moore writes “campaigns aimed at women sometimes deliberately play upon the ability of women to decode the visual clues that signal class and status” (Moore, 1988; 49). Playing into this is the presumed wealth of the male in the advertisement, he is able to provide exotic locations and gifts to the female audience at their whim, transporting the audience all over the world and through locations that would be beyond the reach of the ordinary male. Although the advertisement plays into the 'female gaze', the power over his sexuality is still his, by directing the audience to look at his body it acts as an assurance to the female audience that they are allowed to look at him sexually. The purpose of this is to retain control and not appear 'passive', and therefore be conceived as having feminine qualities. Power and control is a central theme in this advertisement. When the man is submitting himself to the audience, by playing to their perceived desires sexually, spiritually and economically, he still maintains control through the interaction with the female audience and his masculinity by being 'active' and performing masculine tasks. Dyer, cited in Steinman, states when writing about male bodies in movies “Images must disavow... passivity if they are to be kept in line with dominant ideas of masculinity-as-activity” (Steinman, 1992; 202). His constant eye contact with the camera serves to assure his dominance in the situation and over the audience, portraying a man who is confident in knowing what the audience desires and needs from their man. This also acts as a bridge between the 'real world' and the 'fake world' of the advertisement, allowing the audience to feel as though they are being directly spoken to by this man.
The content of the advertisement produces many signs to make both the male and the product desirable equally to males and female audiences. The advertisement progresses through three key scenes seamlessly, with the man performing his monologue in one unbroken sequence, whilst performing seemingly impossible feats. This advertisement relies on the magical element to persuade the viewer that these feats are accomplished by this perfect man and that they may be within reach of the ordinary man if they use Old Spice. The use of signs to signify the man's position in the social and economic hierarchy as a result of his manliness serves to further imprint this argument on to the audience. Throughout the advertisement, all products and offerings to the female audience are held in the left hand of the male on screen, which initially hold an Old Spice product. This encourages the audience to create a link mentally between the products qualities as a provider of masculinity and the rewards for the female audience for purchasing the product for their partners. At the start the camera catches the male in the bathroom with the shower running and the man wearing only a towel to cover the lower half of his body. The narrative directs the female audience towards the man on screen by asking them to look at their man and compare them, before adding “sadly he isn't me, but if he stopped using lady scented body-wash and switched to Old Spice he could smell like he's me”. In the terms of Baudrillard, this narrative forms the distinction between this product and the other, and between the masculine and the feminine in relation to the desirability of the product, “a need is not a need for a particular object as much as it is a “need” for difference” (Kellner, 1989; 15). This positioning of the product away from the 'lady scented' products sets the presents later offered in opposition to the other, what would be offered by a feminine man or product, throughout the remainder of the advertisement. With the implication that all the man achieves throughout the advert would not be possible without obtaining the status by being different and switching from the products rivals. The bathroom itself is clean, uncluttered and minimalist. These characteristics act as a signifier of this males lack of femininity, with no colour present in the shower room and no other products on show. The positioning of the man in the centre of the scenery draws your attention to his body which is on show to highlight the masculine traits that this ideal man possesses, with the facial hair, muscular physique (Steinman, 1992), and the fact he is black all acting as a signifier for the hyper-masculinity of the male in the advertisement. The stance and expression of the man, alonside the deep voice, further enhances this association with masculinity through the composition of the image. These traits are designed to maintain the sense of power and authority over the audience assuring them that this performance of masculinity is the one that all men should aspire towards. The positioning of the product, although initially hidden, also serves to act as a sign that Old Spice can transform your man into this form of masculinity, with its central position alongside the male performer. The proximity of the two providing the only contrast to the dull white and grey background of the initial shower scene. Following this the bathroom moves out of shot, revealing a boat that the man is standing on, this boat acts in itself as a signifier for wealth and authority. As is noted by MacKinnon, authority for a male character in advertising not derived only from his physical appearance, stating “his strength may be suggested not only in terms of his physique, but also in the suggestion of his affluence and business success” (MacKinnon, 2003; 89). The boats location in an exotic, or at least hot climate, encourages the audience to aspire to not only this form of hyper-masculinity but also for the material wealth that the advertisers are associating with a successful masculine male. The positioning of the shirt that falls as the scene changes around the neck of the man indicates an upper middle class background, a reference to the preppy subculture in the USA (Ward, 2010). This subculture is known for its expensive clothing, university education and the high cultured status of individuals within it. The timing of this shirts positioning around the man’s upper torso indicates an arrival for the male into the upper middle classes by embracing the masculinity offered by the Old Spice product. The transition and attainment of social power is a technique used greatly in advertising when trying to convince the consumer that they will transcend class boundaries or confirm their own status through the consumption of the product, as Douglas Kellner writes when discussing Baudrillard, “individuals distinguish themselves and attain social prestige through the purchase and use of consumer goods” (Kellner, 1989; 15). This is due to the nature of the two scenes during this transition, the original bathroom scene was a dull composition of white and grey with little to distinguish it as being an expensive location. Almost immediately after the Old Spice product is revealed and men embrace hyper-masculinity the shirt falls and the scenery changes to an exotic and expensive location. This is the arrival of the proper form of masculinity, made possible by using Old Spice, and where the man has earned enough money and status to acquire his own boat and travel to exotic locations. The Flags positioned behind the man in the first part of the opening scene indicate a well travelled and cultured man, with flags from countries such as Finland, France and Japan further solidifying the association between using Old Spice, becoming a real man, and then being able to afford travel to exotic locations. As the scene progresses the man magically makes an oyster appear with tickets inside to the “thing you love” indicating a deep knowledge of female desires playing upon the stereotypes of males in society not understanding women (Brizendine, 2010). This advert is saying that although this product will make a man who uses Old Spice become more masculine it will also allow him to better understand your needs and desires. This form of masculinity is therefore desirable for both him and the female the advertisement is targeting. The man's superhuman ability comes into play again quickly when he transforms the tickets and oyster into diamonds. This serves two purposes, to highlight the man's status upon becoming a more masculine male and being able to afford the more expensive luxury items, the use of diamonds to highlight this whilst using a black actor is reflective of the commodity fetishism associated with black 'bling culture'. When writing about 'bling' in films and television Mukherjee noted that the culture celebrated “neo-liberal individualism and the promise of class transcendence” (Mukherjee, 2006; 606). Less apparent but more powerful is the syntagmatic association between diamonds being a 'girls best friend' (Hawks, 1953) and the transformation of this male into your best friend through the use of Old Spice body-wash. This association with the use of Old Spice and the transformation of their man into their perfect man is enhanced when the diamonds begin to transform back into a bottle of Old Spice whilst the man says “anything is possible when your man smells like Old Spice and not a lady”. Whilst this transition of the tickets, into diamonds, into the Old Spice symbolic of the 'man your man could be', is happening the scenery changes once more from the boat into a beach tableau where the natural setting reassures the audience of the naturality of the masculine identity being portrayed in this advertisement. Alongside the horse that the man appears on during the final few seconds of the advert, it shows the masculine identity being portrayed as timeless, as powerful, and as capable of adventure. As Merskin notes “when the rugged Marlboro man is situated on his horse, on the open plain, almost always alone, the meanings of the constellation become clear – freedom, love of the outdoors, release from the confines of industrialised society – he is a “real man”, self-sufficient and individualistic” (Merskin, 2001; 162). The choice of a white horse serves symbolically to highlight the purity of this ascension into an idealised form of hyper-masculinity and of the choice to be a 'real man' achieved through the use of Old Spice.
The Old Spice campaign targets females in this advertisement, making clear assumptions of male beauty and desirability often associated with idealised masculinity in western cultures. The use of a stereotypically attractive male physique and confident demeanour, as well as the status symbols associated with the male in this advert, provide him authority over what he is saying about masculinity and the products ability to transpose some of these characteristics on to any man who uses Old Spice. The position of the man throughout the advertisement in the centre of the screen ensures that the focus of the audience remains on him at all times, allowing the man to remain in control of the situation and of the female audiences gaze so, although he surrenders some authority over his sexuality, the power still remains with the man providing the product with even greater sense of masculinity associated with it. The risk of alienating a male audience through directly speaking to women has been offset by the humorous nature of the dialogue and visuals in the advertisement, meaning that the male consumers of this product do not become threatened by the nature of the male in the advert. The advertisements visual signs throughout the story indicate that the product is being associated with masculinity, power and class mobility. The story appears to be assuring females that a more masculine partner would provide economic and social benefits to themselves and to him, and that it can only be achieved through the use of Old Spice body-wash.
References
Elliott, J and Wootton, A. J. (1997). 'Some Ritual Idioms of Gender in British Television Advertising'. The Sociological Review. 45 (3), 437-452.
Moore, S. (1988). 'Here's Looking at You, Kid!'. In: Gamman, L and Marshment, M. The Female Gaze: Women as Viewers of Popular Culture. London: The Women's Press. 44-59.
Steinman, C. (1992). 'Gaze Out of Bounds: Men Watching Men on Television'. In: Craig, C. Men, Masculinity, and the Media. London: Sage. 199-214.
Kellner, D. (1989). Jean Baudrillard: From Marxism to Postmodernism and Beyond. Cambridge: Polity Press.
MacKinnon, K. (2003). Representing Men: Maleness and Masculinity in the Media. London: Arnold Publishers.
Ward, R. K. (2010). The Official Preppy Handbook. Available: http://fashionandpower.blogspot.co.uk/2010/04/official-preppy-handbook.html. Last accessed 4th May 2013.
Brizendine, L. (2010). Why your man will NEVER understand how you feel. Available: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1262932/Why-man-NEVER-understand-feel.html. Last accessed 6th May 2013.
Merskin, D. (2001). 'Winnebagos, Cherokees, Apaches, and Dakotas: The Persistence of Stereotyping of American Indians in American Advertising Brands'. Howard Journal of Communications. 12 (3), 159-169.
Mukherjee, R. (2006). 'The Ghetto Fabulous Aesthetic in Contemporary Black Culture'. Cultural Studies. 20 (6), 599-629.
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, (1953). Film. Directed by Hawks, H. USA: 20th Century Fox.
Smell Like a Man, Man, (2010). TV Advertisement. Directed by Unknown. USA: Wieden and Kennedy.
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