The Man Your Man Could Smell Like... by Old Spice. Winner of the 2010 Film Grand Prix at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival and a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Commercial for Portland advertising agency Wieden+Kennedy. Old Spice's "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like" ad campaign has taken on a life of its own, spreading across social media and becoming the subject of debate. Some media outlets, such as CBS News, have asked, "Is the Old Spice guy 'post-racial' or just another 'Mandingo'?" (Edwards, 2010). These superficial readings fail to impress when the advertisements are critically interrogated through the lens of critical race and gender theories that draw on Marxist and psychoanalytic themes. Mustafa is “a dashing, tall, dark, and handsome character with impossible abs, a dazzling smile, and a twinkle in his eye,” who “possesses electric charisma and a self-deprecating sense of humor” (Romano, 2010). The ads are full of absurdist humor and the usual jokes about “what a man should look like.” Here's a transcript of the series' first commercial, "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like," with what happens in the scene: Hello ladies (bathroom with running shower, shirtless, towel wrapped around waist ). Look at your man, now back to me, then back to your man (the frame narrows in on him, eventually showing him naked from the waist down). Now back to me. Unfortunately, it's not me. But if he stopped using women's scented body wash and switched to Old Spice (he holds up a soap-covered bottle of Old Spice body wash), he might smell like it was me. Look down, step back. (scene changes to a boat) Where are you? You are on a boat. (his towel flies off to reveal white boat pants underneath and a blue and white shirt falls from the sky around his neck) With the man, your man...... middle of paper ..... .IowBF0kEOld Spice. (2010d, July 7). Boat [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7e_igiPIUIOld Spice. (2011a, January 20). I'm back [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qt6iEGzLPjgOld Spice. (2011b, February 1). Fragrant holidays [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3R2cnxz27LIOld Spice. (2011c, March 3). Fiji [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdkHlCiWRCAOld Spice. (2011d, March 3). Komodo [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAB9K6dOD9ARomano, T. (July 18, 2010). The Internet triumph of the Old Spice man. The daily beast. Retrieved from http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2010/07/18/old-spice-guy-post-racial-commercial-genius.htmlStorey, J. (2008). Cultural theory and popular culture: an introduction. Harlow, England: Pearson Longman.

Essay / The Man Your Man Could Smell Like... by Old Spice. Winner of the 2010 Film Grand Prix at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival and a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Commercial for Portland advertising agency Wieden+Kennedy. Old Spice's "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like" ad campaign has taken on a life of its own, spreading across social media and becoming the subject of debate. Some media outlets, such as CBS News, have asked, "Is the Old Spice guy 'post-racial' or just another 'Mandingo'?" (Edwards, 2010). These superficial readings fail to impress when the advertisements are critically interrogated through the lens of critical race and gender theories that draw on Marxist and psychoanalytic themes. Mustafa is “a dashing, tall, dark, and handsome character with impossible abs, a dazzling smile, and a twinkle in his eye,” who “possesses electric charisma and a self-deprecating sense of humor” (Romano, 2010). The ads are full of absurdist humor and the usual jokes about “what a man should look like.” Here's a transcript of the series' first commercial, "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like," with what happens in the scene: Hello ladies (bathroom with running shower, shirtless, towel wrapped around waist ). Look at your man, now back to me, then back to your man (the frame narrows in on him, eventually showing him naked from the waist down). Now back to me. Unfortunately, it's not me. But if he stopped using women's scented body wash and switched to Old Spice (he holds up a soap-covered bottle of Old Spice body wash), he might smell like it was me. Look down, step back. (scene changes to a boat) Where are you? You are on a boat. (his towel flies off to reveal white boat pants underneath and a blue and white shirt falls from the sky around his neck) With the man, your man...... middle of paper ..... .IowBF0kEOld Spice. (2010d, July 7). Boat [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7e_igiPIUIOld Spice. (2011a, January 20). I'm back [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qt6iEGzLPjgOld Spice. (2011b, February 1). Fragrant holidays [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3R2cnxz27LIOld Spice. (2011c, March 3). Fiji [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdkHlCiWRCAOld Spice. (2011d, March 3). Komodo [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAB9K6dOD9ARomano, T. (July 18, 2010). The Internet triumph of the Old Spice man. The daily beast. Retrieved from http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2010/07/18/old-spice-guy-post-racial-commercial-genius.htmlStorey, J. (2008). Cultural theory and popular culture: an introduction. Harlow, England: Pearson Longman.

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