Skip to main content

Move over Mac and PC, there's a new web superhero in town. The Old Spice guy is taking the Internet by storm with a series of hilarious videos about smelling good and hundreds of personalized clips where he answers questions from fans on Twitter

Not only is this Old Spice character better looking than the Mac and PC dudes, he's also a whole lot funnier and more laid back (he is, after all, shirtless in the bathroom). Oh, and the online parodies? Well, I would venture that they're even more clever than Apple's Mac vs PC ads.

The Old Spice guy is wrapping up a milestone week as far as online popularity goes, pushing his total YouTube views well past 70 million. And some fans are taking advantage of the viral action to create a little comedy of their own.

Perhaps one of the best parodies to hit the web is from the Harold B. Lee Library at Brigham Young University in Utah. Yes, it's an unlikely match, but the folks at the school saw an opportunity and jumped on it nevertheless.

The actor in the BYU ad doesn't take off his shirt or hold court in the bathroom, but he mimics the Old Spice guy to perfection while walking around the school's library bragging about his grades and encouraging others be be "scholars, scholars."



<object width="580" height="325"><param name="movie" value="https://www.youtube.com/v/2ArIj236UHs&hl=en_US&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="https://www.youtube.com/v/2ArIj236UHs&hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="580" height="325"></embed></object>


YouTube user "WhosMrHappy" also has a hit Old Spice parody. It's called "The Sausage Your Sausage Could Taste Like." There's nothing too academic about this video. It features a talking sausage raving in the shower about mustard and buns, but it's good for a quick laugh.



<object width="580" height="325"><param name="movie" value="https://www.youtube.com/v/Gz9mAtNo5O0&hl=en_US&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="https://www.youtube.com/v/Gz9mAtNo5O0&hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="580" height="325"></embed></object>


Looking back at what's making this campaign so popular, it's clear to see what I like to call the ABCs of social media success - Authenticity, Bravery, and Consistency.

For one, it's authentic: a character answering real questions from real people online (with a funny twist). It's also brave. These videos could have been a flop from the start. After all, they're a little out there, a dude encouraging men to smell like men, from the shower, on a horse, and beyond. Finally, Old Spice has been consistent with new videos to build on the campaign. They recognized in February, when the first video launched, that they had a hit on their hands, and they've kept the buzz going strong.

It's hard to say where the Old Spice guy will appear next. For now, it looks like (based on a recent Twitter post) he's taking a much-needed break. However, I'm sure he'll back soon enough, flexing his muscles as a he-man internet hero.

Interact with The Globe