“The Man Your Man Can Smell Like” has once again come out smelling like a rose on the awards show circuit, the latest honor being the primetime commercial Emmy which was bestowed upon the Old Spice Body Wash spot during the Creative Arts Emmy Awards ceremony this past Saturday evening (8/21) at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles.
The Emmy Award joins a list of accolades this year for “The Man Your Man Can Smell Like,” which includes the Film Grand Prix at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival, and Best In Show single commercial distinction at the AICP Show.
Directed by Tom Kuntz of MJZ for Wieden+Kennedy, Portland, Ore., the Old Spice ad stars a good looking, well built, somewhat self-absorbed man (played by former NFL receiver Isaiah Mustafa) who tells the ladies watching to look at their man and then at him. Although they cannot have him, they can have a man who smells like him if their significant other uses Old Spice instead of a female-scented body wash.
The premise and the male character have woven their way into mainstream culture. When Mustafa went on the web recently and invited fans to use social media to pose questions to him, the campaign’s momentum escalated even further. Questions came in at an amazingly high rate and Mustafa replied in some 180 web videos produced quickly over a few days.
This marks the second consecutive year that a Wieden+Kennedy commercial has won the primetime Emmy. In ’09, the agency’s “Heist” for Coca-Cola directed by Todd Mueller and Kylie Matulick of Psyop copped the Emmy. Wieden has earned a total of four Emmy Awards–the others coming in ’02 for Nike’s “Move” directed by Jake Scott of RSA Films, and in ’00 for Nike’s “The Morning After” helmed by Spike Jonze of now defunct Satellite (who’s now with MJZ).
Wieden’s creative ensemble on “The Man Your Man Can Smell Like” included executive creative directors Mark Fitzloff and Susan Hoffman, creative directors Jason Bagley and Eric Beladin, art directors/copywriters Craig Allen and Eric Kallman, executive producer Ben Grylewicz and producer Erin Goodsell.
Neil Shapiro was the DP on the Old Spice commercial. Editor was Carlos Arias who was with Final Cut at the time and is now at Rock Paper Scissors. Visual effects house was The Mill L.A.
“The Man Your Man Can Smell Like” topped a field of 2010 primetime commercial Emmy nominees that also consisted of: Absolut Vodka’s “Anthem” directed by Rupert Sanders for TBWAChiatDay, New York; Audi’s “Green Car” directed by Bryan Buckley of Hungry Man for Venables, Bell & Partners, San Francisco; Snicker’s “Game” helmed by Craig Gillespie of MJZ for BBDO New York; and two other spots from Wieden+Kennedy–Nike’s “Human Chain” directed by Brian Beletic of Smuggler; and Coca-Cola’s “Finals” directed by Daniel Kleinman of Rattling Stick, London, and Epoch Films.
