Semiotics Assignment

Submitted by:

Ayush Agarwal

PGP-2

20130120099

Semiotic Analysis of “Old Spice: Smell Like a Man, Man”

Campaign

Print Ad:

Old Spice came up with a popular “Man on a horse” campaign in 2010.The

campaign had print and video advertisements wherein an Old Spice man was

depicted as ‘manly’ by associating him with different random things and

activities. This was done so that we as audience can associate the product

with the masculinity of the Old Spice man. The above image is of a print

campaign which shows the Old Spice Man with a pack of Old Spice in a hand

while he is sitting on a horse at a tropical beach and the slogan says: “Smell

like a man, man – Old Spice.” This print ad pretty much conveys the general

message communicated across the campaign. Denotation is an image or

thing which we can be immediately interpreted by anyone consciously or sub

consciously. Connotation is the deciphered meaning we derive on seeing the

denoted item. For example a specific smell may drive the inhaler to a specific

image or thing in his mind or a sound clip may suggest a specific mental image

to someone. The connotations may not be same for every individual as it

largely depends on previous personal experiences.

In this campaign a lot of strong connotations are used. A fit and muscular man

sitting topless on a shirt clearly suggests health, fitness, masculinity and

desirability. The man is shown sitting with his hand on his hips which is a subtle

indication of being an extrovert who is confident about himself. Also, the

character has his shirt draped around his shoulders which indicates heroism as

we often associate such capes with ‘superheroes’. The animal used is a horse

which again suggests a rustic, rugged and wild personality. The colour of the

horse is white which gives the sense of purity, positivity and honesty. The white

trousers of the man is camouflaged with the horse to indicate that he too is

similar to the horse. Thus the white colour is used twice as in western movies

white has always been associated with goodness and purity. However if the

same campaign is shown to people living in eastern countries then they may

interpret the same very differently as white signifies the exact opposite

meaning of unhappiness, death, coldness and misfortune. This shows how the

individual experience of a person affects the way he decodes the message.

The backdrop shows us an exotic location of a tropical beach and tree

suggesting calm, relaxed, serene atmosphere, free from worries etc. Even here,

someone who is allergic to beaches or has had a bad experience in such a

place would definitely not be attracted by this advertisement. Thus, a positive

image for someone may become negative for someone else depending on

their personal experience. This clearly is suggestive that the product –“Old

Spice” would make us feel like the man sitting on the horse. Additionally it

shows shining beads (like diamond) falling from the man’s hand at the point

wherein it feels like they are coming out of the bottle. This gives a rich, wealthy

and premium outlook to the product.

Male gender has always been stereotyped with being fit, healthy, strong, and

rugged and the same stereotype is at play in this campaign. The ad

intentionally shows a man riding a horse in order to suggest his capability to

ride and his fascination for exotic places is highlighted through the tropical

backdrop. The sun does not stop the Old Spice man and thus he is shown to

be comfortable in the shining sun with little clothing. His clothes also indicate

that he is fashionable and he does not refrain from showing off his body. We

are constantly hammered with images of perfect man and each one of them

shows them to be physically strong, outgoing, exuberant, muscular etc. The

same image is intentionally used here in order to make him look aspirational.

An image every guy would like to see for himself. What makes this

advertisement interesting is the way in which it was presented. The obvious

signifiers like man, beach, diamonds etc were used in a humorous way so that

the whole idea does not look stupid but it also conveys the intended message

effectively. Someone might consider it to be stupid of a man to ride a horse on

a beach or some might consider it childish to wear a cape in order to look like

a superhero. These negative connotations are avoided by the element of

humour used in the campaign. Thus, these stupidities instead convey that you

can be like the Old Spice man if you buy this product.

Video Ad

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owGykVbfgUE

The campaign is targeted at woman in general as it clearly states in most of

advertisements (video) –“look at your man”. This was specifically intended to

target the section which generally buys such stuff for their husbands. The video

ad also starts with a normal backdrop of a washroom and ends at an exotic

location. This is to indicate the change in the lives of people once they start

using Old Spice. The voice of the man is deep and husky which indicates that

he is proficient sexually. The sentences have a personal address to the women

out there and this helps establish a personal connect with audience. The

tagline is written in a plain and bold fonts which suggests that it is a fact

whereas the brand name is written with Italic fonts to indicate sophistication.

The sound of birds and waves gives a feel of realism to the video.

Result:

The advertisement campaign was widely appreciated and generated quick

revenues for Old Spice. The sale of Old Spice increased by 40% soon after the

release of the campaign.