The percentage change may be questionable based on the objections raised by pkaler & jacquesm but I still think there's an obvious effect and it may not be just due to "easily convinced consumers".<p>In the past, my impression of Old Spice was that it was old fashioned, for seniors, etc. I'm just one consumer, but if this was a common perception, it looks like Old Spice identified their weakness and targeted it. If you ask me today what my impression of Old Spice is, it's quite different. They're a company willing to make unique commercials and take some risks. They have new scents are targeted at a younger crowd (I remember seeing After Hours in stores) and I no longer view the company as "old" Old Spice. Even though my perception has changed, I don't view it as being convinced or tricked as a consumer, but a reinterpretation of a company based on their actions. I've been wrong before.
If you like a commercial, odds are decent that it came from Wieden + Kennedy, perhaps most famous for creating "Just Do It". Remember: heading into the '90s, Reebok dominated Nike. The coining of "Just Do It" and the attendant campaigns were perhaps a major factor in propelling Nike to the forefront of their market. W+K also made Honda's famous "cog" commercial.<p>They're also doing some work that may be interesting to the HN crowd over at <a href="http://www.wk.com/incubator" rel="nofollow">http://www.wk.com/incubator</a>. If I were a far more brilliant and creative person, I'd love to just hang out with their directors: they do a consistently good job in an area that's very hard to get right again and again over time.
Don't believe numbers from Nielson, NPD group, Marc, Ad Mob, etc. The only real numbers are GAAP that come out of the accounting department. This is true for Old Spice, iPhone vs Android, game consoles, etc.
I didn't follow up on the "sales are down" stories too much, but it did seem pretty hard to believe that they had data 48 hrs after the campaign ended.
Hmm. The guy is tremendous, the commercials are funny. And they're memorable.<p>And I still dont like aldehyde based scents, and prefer my herbalist to make my own scents. They cost a bit more than normal, but last years. Guess that's the kind of people I associate with being a witch and all.