Old Spice created a really funny TV spot, with extended variations for its site and YouTube channel. Then they responded to the ensuing buzz with over 200 custom video answers to tweets and Facebook comments. Axe, which has a history of integrated campaigns, also created a funny TV spot, but didn’t generate the same buzz.  So at the moment, it’s Old Spice that’s enjoying the sweet smell of success. But which campaign is really better? 

The Old Spice work is funny and makes you think about the brand. Whether you want to or not. With almost 100 million videos viewed on YouTube, over 600,000 “likes” on Facebook, and digital, TV and print coverage, you can’t miss it. But it doesn’t necessarily make you want the brand. The brief for deodorant and body wash for guys seems to be about attracting women. And Old Spice actually takes a roundabout approach – appealing to women to appeal to men. Axe, on the other hand, continues to position itself as a scent women can’t resist. Remember the town without women integrated work? This time around, the ads feature a guy morphing into the version of himself a woman wants at each stage of a night out. It’s funny and entertaining. But it’s also got a product message, the smell of Axe changes on your body, to make you irresistible to women. That’ s pretty to the point, and it’s a brand position they’ve been consistent with. So Old Spice has the mass awareness, and that’s a great thing. But Axe just may have the benefit nailed that matters to the folks who buy the product — actually being the guy women want, not just smelling like him.