Strength 1
David Strength
Robinson
COM 1100
12 October 2011
Persuasive Event Assignment
Event #1
The first event is an Old Spice commercial from the series, The Man Your Man Could Smell
Like, starring Isaiah Mustafa. These commercials became viral after a social media campaign,
garnering over 34 million Youtube views in less than a week. The purpose of this commercial is
to convince consumers to buy Old Spice deodorant and body wash. The claim is that if a guy
uses Old Spice, he will smell like a man instead of a lady, and then anything is possible.

Logical
o These commercials aim to be silly, but they still incorporate logic. The
commercial uses an example reasoning pattern while addressing the ladies of the
world. The Old Spice Man begins by stating the fact that no other man is he, but
other men can smell like him if they use Old Spice body wash. He is drawing a
larger conclusion that men can be similar to him from a specific example: using
Old Spice body wash. There is no evidence that the Old Spice Man actually uses
Old Spice body wash, so the commercial commits the fallacy of hasty
generalization. How do we know that “anything is possible when your man
smells like Old Spice and not a lady?” There is simply not enough evidence.

Emotional
o The commercial utilizes a variety of appeals. The first is adventure and change
because the commercial is persuading men to change their body wash to Old
Spice. The scenery of the commercial transitions from a bathroom to a yacht and
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finally a white stallion, which is certainly an adventurous change.
Companionship and affiliation is incorporated when the Old Spice Man opens
oysters to reveal “two tickets to that thing you love.” If men use Old spice, then
they will certainly become more romantic than before. Finally, sexual attraction
is implemented because the commercial invites ladies to compare their men to the
Old Spice Man, who is shirtless throughout the program. The underlying message
is that if a guy uses Old Spice, he will be more like the Old Spice Man, who is
attractive.

Speaker Credibility
o Although the Old Spice man is not credible, he possesses several of the sources of
credibility. His character appears trustworthy and honest, his composure is
retained throughout the commercial, and his appearance is attractive and
sophisticated even though he lacks a shirt. This false sense of credibility is
derived because it develops as you watch the commercial and observe the
mannerisms and speech of the main character.

Organization
o The commercial follows Monroe’s Motivated Sequence closely, which is
surprising for such a short commercial. The main character grabs the audience’s
attention by saying, “Hello, ladies,” in a manly voice (the bare upper body helps
as well if women are watching). The problem is that your man isn’t the Old Spice
Man, which is the need. The satisfaction, or the solution, is that your man can at
least smell like the Old Spice Man by using Old Spice body wash. The character
helps the audience visualize the results of using Old Spice: yachting, tickets to
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that thing you love, diamonds, and horseback riding. Finally, the Old Spice Man
declares the action when he states, “Anything is possible when your man smells
like Old Spice and not a lady.”

Target Audience
o Studies have shown that women make more than half of all body wash purchases.
Thus, the Old Spice commercial campaign targets females as well as males by
encouraging couples to have a conversation about body wash.

Effective?
o This series of commercials was wildly successful in terms of exposure and
persuasion; Old Spice states that they have witnessed a clear increase in sales
since the campaign began. I think its success lies in the humor of the
commercials, which could be considered pathos. The writing and production of
the skits are both so fresh and outlandish that one can’t help but smile and
appreciate the work that went into these commercials. I personally use Old Spice
not only because I like their products, but also because their commercials
entertain me. The Old Spice campaign demonstrates that consumers value
entertainment from a commercial, and many—including myself—are willing to
alter spending habits to support entertaining commercials.