Old Spice Social Campaign Case Study Video

Wed, Aug 11, 2010
1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (6 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
57 Comments

Well here it is. The Old Spice Social Campaign Case Study from WK. To save the judges some time this year, I’d suggest sending the pencils, lions, grand pix’ and the like straight to the WK head office in an overnight express bag, no need for a tracking code, everyone know’s who those awards will belong to! Check out the video above, the results are just as you’d expect.

The Old Spice Case Study talks us through the insight around targeting men & women at the same time to generate conversation around body wash. When it was launched online for the super bowl weekend (and TV shortly after) the campaign managed to capture 75% of all conversations in the category (although I’m sure that was off a small base) before every man and his dog was talking about the Old Spice ads.

To continue that success Old Spice & WK needed to take the campaign to the next level, Mustafa was now a household hero, and they wanted to engage the fans directly. And so the response campaign was born.

Over 3 days, a team of creatives, digital strategists, developers and producers filmed 180 odd videos around the clock, creating videos and responding directly to fans and celebrities in near real time to create what is now known as the best social campaign ever to have been created.

So here are a few of the stats… hold your breath…

  • On day 1 the campaign received almost 6 million views
    (that’s more than Obama’s victory speech)
  • On day 2 old spice had 8 of the 11 most popular videos online
  • On day 3 the campaign had reached over 20 million views
  • After the first week old spice had over 40 million views
  • The old spice twitter following increased 2700% (probably off a lowish base)
  • Facebook fan interaction was up 800%
  • Oldspice.com website traffic was up 300%
  • The old spice YouTube channel became the all time most viewed channel (amazing)
  • Thecampain has generated 1.4 billion impressions since launching the ads 6 months ago
  • The campaign increased sales by 27% over 6 months since launching (year on year)
  • In the last 3 months sales were up 55%
  • And in the last month sales were up 107% from the social responses campaign work
  • Old spice is now the #1 body wash brand for men.

I don’t think I need to add much more to that. I just really want to see what old spice has in store for us next, in fact i’m itching for it. (no pressure WK!) (via Creativity Online)

Help us share the digital goodness!

    Related Digital Buzz Posts:

    1. Pink Ponies: The World’s Best Case Study Video
    2. Samsung SuperSwypers Campaign Case Study
    3. Mercedes-Benz Tweet Race Case Study
    4. Old Spice Sends Personal Twitter Video Replies
    5. Ispy Levi’s Twitter Campaign Case Study
    , , , , , , , ,

    Posted by: Aden Hepburn

    13 Comments For This Post

    1. Sergethew Says:

      Another impressive thing is it’s a P&G brand!

      Lets hope this is a lesson for the rest of the family ;-)

    2. Simon T Small Says:

      A stat that was missed in this case study was the impact on searches for ‘Old Spice’ which increased nearly 1000% (according to Google Trends)

    3. Rockst4rstu Says:

      I would be interested to know how they measure one month sales increase of 107% directly from the social responses campaign work? Surely the well executed TV ads that play out did their bit?

      This is great brand awareness and positioning campaign but will it change the long term sales for Old Spice? There has to be a new produce redesign and naming to match this success.

      Worth noting that the campaign also saw increased instore display, priority shelf space and offer promotions.

    4. Ryan Kelly Says:

      @Rockst4rstu – good point. And what’s the ROI on the campaign? The production costs, media spend, and just managing the social media has to be quite expensive. I wonder if the 22% sales increase from the previous year was an appropriate ROI for the spend.

      I also read that the Old Spice ads did not result in as much of a sales increase as the Dos Equis “Most Interesting Man in the World” series.

    5. Rob Gonda Says:

      Great numbers, but just like most case studies, they can be skewed on any direction .. check out my original independent metrics :: http://takemetoyourleader.com/2010/07/15/the-old-spice-social-media-campaign-stats/

    6. Brett Greene Says:

      We all agree that the Old Spice Guy campaign is by far the most successful campaign of the year. So why is it that after the You Tube farewell video aired Proctor and Gamble chose to abandon the Twitter account? (See http://twitter.com/oldspice)

      They spent tons of money on building an awesome campaign and left all of that momentum and leverage in the dust. P&G is the leading corporation in social media marketing so I’m surprised that they don’t understand that social media is about commitment and relationships, not just individual campaigns.

      Brett
      @BrettGreene
      http://oxsteinlabs.com

    7. heather ann snodgrass Says:

      aden – video seems to no longer be working?

    8. heather ann snodgrass Says:

      aden – video seems to no longer be working?

    9. heather ann snodgrass Says:

      aden – video seems to no longer be working?

    10. Aden Hepburn Says:

      Yeah, YouTube suspended my channel… Seems someone who’s sent me content to post on digital buzz has unfortunately had someone (production company or brand) claim it as theirs… and I’ve been blocked…

      Am fighting them for it as we speak!! 100 digital videos gone!

    11. Luke Knight Says:

      Amazing stats, I loved the entire campaign from start to finish!

    12. Frank Zweegers Says:

      Great read. Shame, the vid doesn’t work anymmore.

    13. Aden Hepburn Says:

      Frank, thanks for pointing it out, I’ll fix that up! :)

    44 Trackbacks For This Post

    1. The Spicy Power of Social Media « Musings of a Writingprincess Says:

      [...] Buzz Blog (a must subscribe if you are into social media) just released the Old Spice social media campaign case study from the creatives at Wienden+Kennedy advertising. The results of this campaign are staggering. [...]

    2. Old Spice Campaign Case Study Says:

      [...] Source Share and Enjoy: [...]

    3. Old Spice Guy – Great Viral Campaign | Kevin Flores Says:

      [...] UPDATE (08.11.2010): digitalbuzz blog posted a break down of the campaign’s impressive stats. [...]

    4. Internet Videos: Using Videos To Promote Your Business « Regvip’s Weblog Says:

      [...] Old Spice Social Campaign Case Study [...]

    5. Lies, damned lies and statistics » Blog Archive » Why combining TV + online can pay off for brands and broadcasters Says:

      [...] And as far as a successful example of integrating TV advertising and an online campaign goes….Old Spice anyone? [...]

    6. Cannes Ad Festival Summary + Halo’s Live Light Monument | rfegarber Says:

      [...] Old Spice campaign is the way they leveraged the popularity of their commercials to fuel a viral social campaign online allowing users to ask the “Old Spice Guy” questions and get [...]

    7. From WTF To KPI: PR Measurement In Acronyms | Waxing UnLyrical Says:

      [...] here it is. And the Digital Buzz Blog has an excellent recap of the entire Old Spice social media campaign (which I did pull from, with all the appropriate credits, in my [...]

    8. Assignment 2 and more on Viral Videos | ADV 3620: Digital Video Design I Says:

      [...] courtesy of DigitalBuzzBlog.com [...]

    9. Old Spice Guy Brings 107% Increase in Sales | Kinesis Says:

      [...] creative use of social media sites. And it worked really, really, really well. Here are some of the results from the [...]

    10. Interview with Social Media Citizen: Adam Broitman | Social Media Citizens Says:

      [...] Old Spice [...]

    11. Interview with Social Media Citizen: Joe Pulizzi | Social Media Citizens Says:

      [...] Old Spice [...]

    12. Do You Have a Crush on Social Media? « PR in Pink Says:

      [...] be clear, social media is not a one-size-fits all approach. Just because Old Spice had a successful social media campaign doesn’t mean the same campaign will work for your company or client. Rather, social media is [...]

    13. » 40 Social Media Case Studies Online Branding Blog – reactorr.com - online branding, internet marketing, social media, SEO Says:

      [...] Old Spice Social Campaign Case Study Video [...]

    14. A Facebook Page (Even A Good One) Is Not The Answer « Rock Me Amadeo Says:

      [...] these days likes to point to Old Spice as a good case study. The the campaign’s success online had absolutely nothing to do with its Facebook page, [...]

    15. Social Media Case Studies | Examples of Social Media Marketing Says:

      [...] Old Spice Social Campaign Case Study Video [...]

    16. Hiring a Social Media EXPERT >> Interaktive Basement Says:

      [...] can say Old Spice but if he is an experienced guy, he should know ones before that. Many organizations like [...]

    17. Old Spice – verdens beste kampanje i sosiale medier – Stammen.no Says:

      [...] Opplisting av resultatene fra Old Spice-kampanjen (Digital Buzz Blog, August 2010) [...]

    18. Trends in Social Media for 2011 | Don't drink the koolaid Says:

      [...] an integrated social media program. In 2011, we’ll see in-depth integration – a la, the Old Spice Campaign or the Tipp-Ex campaign. Even Corona Light’s simple collaboration of traditional media buying [...]

    19. The Next Step In Social Media: Asynchronous Video Conversations 社交网络的下一步:不同步的视频式交流 | PHD Thread – PHD Thread is written and produced by PHD China. Says:

      [...] simple don’t translate across in writing.  Riding on the overwhelmingly positive reaction to the Old Spice campaign that has made real–response efforts popular, it is likely that brief, personalized video responses [...]

    20. Do you “like” my bean dip? Marketing Lessons from the Super Bowl @ Geary Fresh Says:

      [...] Companies are finally seeing that integrated campaigns can have a positive return such as the Old Spice campaign which started as a commercial, then got integrated after the suds had subsided.  Old Spice is now the,  “#1 body wash brand for men” (Source: http://www.digitalbuzzblog.com/old-spice-social-campaign-case-study-video/). [...]

    21. 2011 AICP Call For Entries Campaign | Digital Buzz Blog Says:

      [...] “Is Your Advertising Art“. Share This Digital Buzz Post:Related Digital Buzz Posts:Old Spice Social Campaign Case Study VideoCall of Duty: There’s A Soldier In All Of UsWebby Awards Entries Due Soon!The 100th Digital [...]

    22. The Old Spice Guy is Back, but Do We Still Care? | Post Advertising Says:

      [...] campaigns can claim to be as successful as last year’s Old Spice campaign was. With over 15 million channel views and 1.4 billion impressions, Mustafa’s spots made Old [...]

    23. Why social media strategy is like weight loss | Small Act Says:

      [...] been much-lauded for putting together one of the best social media campaigns we’ve seen yet, with tremendous results, including a 107% increase in sales and mimic campaigns by the folks at Blendtec (campaign gurus in [...]

    24. Social Media Best Practices: Part 5 - Old Spice | Caffeinated Imagination Says:

      [...] Old Spice put out a message on its social networks, asking followers “If you could ask the Old Spice Man a question, what would it be?”. Individuals, both celebrities and consumers alike, began asking their questions. For each response, a short video was produced of Mustafa answering the question and uploaded to YouTube. This continued throughout the day for various questions. By the end of the first day, the videos produced had received over 6 million views on Old Spice’s branded YouTube page. The next day, WK released more videos, providing Old Spice with 8 out of the 11 most popular videos anywhere online for that day. By day three, the campaign had reached over 20 million views and was an online success. [...]

    25. Forget about Social Media for B2B Marketing | Boost Marketing Says:

      [...] you think about social media marketing, your first thought is probably for consumer campaigns like Old Spice that generated over 40 Million views for it’s YouTube videos in the first week alone, or other [...]

    26. Traditional agencies are the future of digital | Creativity_Unbound Says:

      [...] The best ideas transcend execution, media, and technology and combine all three. They have social media components to them. They happen in real time. And they call for incredibly diverse [...]

    27. My Year In Detroit » Blog Archive » Big Things Poppin’ Says:

      [...] illustration. For the 90th annual awards, the winners included the likes of Wieden+Kennedy for their Old Spice Guy interactive response campaign and Saatchi & Saatchi for their Swagger Wagon [...]

    28. “Hello Ladies…” « Courtney Smedick Says:

      [...] competitor, Axe.  Marketing practices of the past, Old Spice neglected females who, according to Wieden + Kennedy, make more than half of all body wash purchases.   To revitalize their image and reach household [...]

    29. 10 case studies that prove the ROI of social media Says:

      [...] but did it actually impact sales? According to the marketing agency behind the campaign, it did. Since the original campaign launched with ‘Mustafa’, sales increased by 27% year on year.  But in the 3 months after the [...]

    30. The ROI of Social Media: 10 Case Studies | Aechmedia1 Every Day Fresh news for You Says:

      [...] but did it actually impact sales? According to the marketing agency behind the campaign, it did. Since the original campaign launched with ‘Mustafa’, sales increased by 27% year on year. But in the 3 months after the height of [...]

    31. The ROI of Social Media: 10 Case Studies | TechDiem.com Says:

      [...] but did it actually impact sales? According to the marketing agency behind the campaign, it did. Since the original campaign launched with ‘Mustafa’, sales increased by 27% year on year. But in the 3 months after the height of [...]

    32. KU Social Media » ROI of Social Media – Larson Says:

      [...] by creating 180 videos to respond to comments from the audience. This kind of interaction created a frenzy that had never been seen [...]

    33. KU Social Media » Old Spice & Social Media ROI – Campbell Says:

      [...] the agency who created Mustafa and over 180 videos in just 3 days, did more than just create a character and a bunch of content. They responded to [...]

    34. Television: Back to School, socially | The Seevibes Blog Says:

      [...] that should best profit from the public’s social engagement. Remember the success of the Old Spice campaign on YouTube. Kraft adapted this for TV with Mac & Cheese sauce. TV ads in real time are fast [...]

    35. Télévision : une rentrée des classes sociale | Le blogue de Seevibes Says:

      [...] devrait tirer le meilleur parti de l’engagement social du public. Souvenez-vous du succès de l’opération Old Spice sur YouTube. Kraft l’avait adapté à la télévision à la sauce Mac & Cheese. La [...]

    36. Social media ROI: 10 companies that made it work | PRbuilder.com Says:

      [...] but did it actually impact sales? According to the marketing agency behind the campaign, yes. Since the original campaign launched with Isaiah Mustafa, sales increased by 27 percent. But in the three months after the [...]

    37. The ROI of Social Media: 10 Case Studies (originally from The Next Web) « Says:

      [...] but did it actually impact sales? According to the marketing agency behind the campaign, yes. Since the original campaign launched with Isaiah Mustafa, sales increased by 27 percent. But in the three months after the [...]

    38. The role of social media in brand storytelling | The Wall Blog Says:

      [...] Old Spice, with Isaiah Mustafa taking the lead role with the core narrative “I’m the man your man could smell like” running through all activity. This story was played out through TV and YouTube initially and soon made it to the social networking sites. What I particularly loved about this story was the role people could have in the story by engaging through Twitter I real time, sending Mustafa tweets which he responded to through video. A stroke of genius from Wielden and Kennedy that really showed us the potential of what social can do. The story continues to be told today and the results so far include the most viewed YouTube channel, a huge upsurge in the Twitter and Facebook communities with equally huge engagement, billions of impressions, a big increase in sales and the title of number 1 body wash brand for men (more detailed stats here). [...]

    39. Storytelling i sociala medier | Ida Nilsson Says:

      [...] Old Spice med Jesaja Mustafa i huvudrollen är en succe på fler än ett sätt. ”I´m the man your man could smell like” löper genom hela kommunikationen. Det började som reklamfilmer och klipp på You Tube, som sedan blev till webbplats. Förutom att människor skapade sina egna ”Old Spice-klipp” på You Tube valde man att göra egna videoklipp där Mustafa svarade på tweets som skickats till honom i sociala medier. Genilaiskt! – Efter den första veckan Old Spice hade över 40 miljoner visningar – Följare på Twitter ökade 2700% – Facebook fan interaktion ökade med 800% – Old Spice är nu # 1 Body Wash varumärke för män (aug 20120) – statistik är hämta från Digital buzz [...]

    40. The ROI of Social Media: 10 Case Studies | Queirozx Says:

      [...] but did it actually impact sales? According to the marketing agency behind the campaign, it did. Since the original campaign launched with ‘Mustafa’, sales increased by 27% year on year. But in the 3 months after the height of [...]

    41. Investera tid i sociala medier – spara pengar. Möjlighet eller myt? | Creo Media Group Says:

      [...] Old Spice lägger sina pengar där målgruppen finns För att verkligen se värdet av en social mediekampanj och hur den kan öka avkastningen på investeringen, är det värt att ta en titt på en av de mest kända och framgångsrika sociala mediekampanjer hittills: Old Spice. Old Spice Fallstudie [...]

    42. Can Social Media Produce Solid ROI? Says:

      [...] Spice’s popular YouTube campaign with Isaiah Mustafa certainly stirred up a storm. WK reported within one day of Old Spice’s “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” [...]

    43. Show Me The Money or Social Media ROI | Sean Clark Says:

      [...] Procter & Gamble – Old Spice campaign in 6 months sales were up 27% [...]

    44. Old Spice Guy Brings 107% Increase in Sales Says:

      [...] creative use of social media sites. And it worked really, really, really well. Here are some of the results from the [...]

    Leave a Reply