Old Spice sales up 107% - take that, social media doubters

The Old Spice campaign smells like success - I knew that, which is why I want to marry it - as brandweek reports their numbers are going up.

According to Nielsen, sales of Old Spice Body Wash—the line touted in the Wieden + Kennedy-created campaign—rose 11 percent over the past 12 months and since the effort broke in February, sales seem to be gaining momentum.
Over the past three months, sales jumped 55 percent and in the past month, they rose 107 percent, also per Nielsen.

Not bad! The Old spice campaign stinks no more.

“Since the ‘Smell Like A Man, Man’ campaign broke in February, Old Spice has month-over-month strengthened its market position,” said Norton in an e-mail. He added that Old Spice is now the No. 1 brand of body wash and anti-perspirant/deodorant in both sales and volume with growth in the high single/double digits.

Even Adage agrees the campaign is a rocking success, with some reservations. Gillette body wash has been gaining too, 277% and 3.9 share points.

Before we cork open the champagne and call this concluded I'd like to point to something that Hot Tomali said:

So, for anyone out there with a bad case of creative-phobia, hear this: you cannot measure the ROI of a successful viral campaign in weeks or months.

... basically Wait for it. /LifeOfBrian

Edit I'm blind as a bat in the mornings, AlphaSquirrel points in the comments here to the articles over at Adfreak and Ad contrarian that are weighing in on the backlash against the data. Or backlash against the backlash.src="adland.tv/ld-spice-campaign-stinks">Old spice campaign stinks no more.

“Since the ‘Smell Like A Man, Man’ campaign broke in February, Old Spice has month-over-month strengthened its market position,” said Norton in an e-mail. He added that Old Spice is now the No. 1 brand of body wash and anti-perspirant/deodorant in both sales and volume with growth in the high single/double digits.

Even Adage agrees the campaign is a rocking success, with some reservations. Gillette body wash has been gaining too, 277% and 3.9 share points.

Before we cork open the champagne and call this concluded I'd like to point to something that Hot Tomali said:

So, for anyone out there with a bad case of creative-phobia, hear this: you cannot measure the ROI of a successful viral campaign in weeks or months.

... basically Wait for it. /LifeOfBrian

Edit I'm blind as a bat in the mornings, AlphaSquirrel points in the comments here to the articles over at Adfreak and Ad contrarian that are weighing in on the backlash against the data. Or backlash against the backlash.src="adland.tv/ld-spice-alyssamilano-3-2010&viral.onpause=true&viral.oncomplete=true&viral.functions=embed,link" />
Old Spice - @Alyssa_Milano 3 - (2010)

Edit I'm blind as a bat in the mornings, AlphaSquirrel points in the comments here to the articles over at Adfreak and Ad contrarian that are weighing in on the backlash against the data. Or backlash against the backlash.src="adland.tv/ld-spice-campaign-stinks">Old spice campaign stinks no more.

“Since the ‘Smell Like A Man, Man’ campaign broke in February, Old Spice has month-over-month strengthened its market position,” said Norton in an e-mail. He added that Old Spice is now the No. 1 brand of body wash and anti-perspirant/deodorant in both sales and volume with growth in the high single/double digits.

Even Adage agrees the campaign is a rocking success, with some reservations. Gillette body wash has been gaining too, 277% and 3.9 share points.

Before we cork open the champagne and call this concluded I'd like to point to something that Hot Tomali said:

So, for anyone out there with a bad case of creative-phobia, hear this: you cannot measure the ROI of a successful viral campaign in weeks or months.

... basically Wait for it. /LifeOfBrian

Edit I'm blind as a bat in the mornings, AlphaSquirrel points in the comments here to the articles over at Adfreak and Ad contrarian that are weighing in on the backlash against the data. Or backlash against the backlash.

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Dabitch's picture

To be abundantly clear. I want to marry The Campaign. Not Isiah, or Eric or Iain or anyone else involved. Where's the challenge in that?

Dodds's picture

Not here to criticise the Old Spice campaign , especially not the recent online activity but the figures you quote do not prove social media's impact. They all occurred before this happened. Moroever this 107% figure being bandied around is month to month - sales are 107% higher than in the equivalent month last year. Not 107% up in a month. Most likely that month a year ago was a nadir in sales for other reasons and the increase now looks better than it is. As I say I'm a great advocate of social media, but you're jumping the gun here and overlooking a huge traditional media spend. Social media can take its bow in a few month's time.

Neo's picture

I agree with the previous poster. Everyone is rushing to check the numbers, the web might move fast but peoples purchasing habits do not. I wait until I've used up my old body wash before I buy a new one.

Neo's picture

Oh, I just realized that's what you're saying at the end of the post with the Life Of Brain reference. Wait for it indeed.

AlphaSquirrel's picture

And now in the battle of sales and of man, it's The Most Interesting Man in the World vs. Old Spice Guy . Kind of a tongue-in-cheek article, the comments cover what most comments elsewhere have.

And, yeah, Jetpacks already set the two of them against each other, but I think didn't factor in the Chuck Norris influence.

AlphaSquirrel's picture

So what's with the line breaks after the links?

Also, to clarify: The Most Interesting Man In The World campaign is awesome.

Dabitch's picture

CSS bug whose main objective in life is to bug the hell out of me. Appears randomly.