Derrick Henry Is the Most Unstoppable Old Spice Guy Yet

In his debut as the latest NFL Old Spice Guy, Tennessee Titans star running back Derrick Henry smells ready for anything.

That’s because he uses Old Spice’s Sweat Defense antiperspirant and deodorant, appearing as an unstoppable video-game version of himself in a fun and silly 45-second spot from Wieden + Kennedy.

Henry makes an epic run, exiting the stadium and hitting the streets of Los Angeles as the Rams’ No. 49—Daniel Bituli in real life, but here just some random bruiser—hangs on tight:

All the while, in a cheeky nod to video games that track various aspects of play, the ad displays Old Spice’s “Sweat Blocking Power” on screen. It’s at full red-zone strength throughout. Phew!

Or, to quote Henry: “It’s not just strong. It’s strong strong!” The tagline: “Smell Ready for Anything.” (The last time we saw the All-Pro in a commercial, he could just turn on the air conditioning in his Nissan SUV to keep cool. Glad he’s getting some exercise these days.)

Of course, the whole “superstar leaving the park” trope has become a sports-ad staple, perfected in MLB Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr.’s Nike ad from ’90s, and reprised this summer by Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw for Hankook Tires. The idea works especially well for Old Spice because running can make you not just sweaty, but sweaty sweaty!

“Unstoppable Henry” launched on Old Spice’s YouTube channel today, with its broadcast TV debut coming Nov. 12 during the Titans-Colts game.

The client says it chose Henry because he exhibits dedication and drive on and off the field, with his charitable efforts mirroring the brand’s own social commitment. Old Spice recently launched a 10-year initiative to help increase high school graduation rates through empowerment programs reaching underserved communities across the country.

CREDITS

Client: Old Spice

Agency: W+K Portland
ECDs Eric Baldwin and Jess Monsey
Creative Directors Erik Fahrenkop and Sara Phillips
Art Director Derrick Ho
Copywriter Max Stinson
Director of Production Matt Hunnicutt
Executive Producer Heather Hanrahan
Senior Producer Jennifer Fiske
Design Producer/Print Producer Katey Kahanu
Designer Ken Berg
Graphics Motion Lead: Jeff Ackley; 3D + Motion Design: Jeff Ackley, David Mellor
Strategic Planning Christian Clay
Media/Comms Planning Kelly Muller, Emily Graham
Account Team Thomas Harvey, Paige Brown, Nick Hanlin
Business Affairs Matt Hughes
Broadcast Traffic Joe Chaath

Client – P&G
Vice President, Old Spice Matthew Krehbiel
Brand Director, North America Selina Phillips
Senior Brand Manager, Old Spice Jake Grabowski

Animation: Red Knuckles
Creative Directors Rick Thiele & Mario Ucci
Executive Producer Pedro Lino
Project Manager Mercedes Vidal Breard
Storyboard Artist Richard Buxton
Digital Matte Painter Alex Hernandez
Grading Cheat
3D Modeller Felipe Bassi
Rigging Reblika
Lead Animator Fabrice Fiteni
Animators Remy Herisse, Oz Durose, Sandra Guarda, Florentina Perez, Oscar Burgos
VFX Radu Ciubotariu, Ismael Martin Pintado
3D Generalists Jason Nuttal, Edward Randall
L&C Valerie Gulchard, Clarisse Valeix, Ahemd Ugas
Wizz Exec. Producer Amanda Stubbs
Wizz Senior Producer Claire Madigan
Blacklist Exec. Producer Adina Sales
Producer Michael Neithardt

Sound Design
Company Name Joint
Sound Designer Noah Woodburn & Natalie Huizenga

VO
Talent Derrick Henry

Mix
Music/Sound/Mix Company Joint
Audio Mixer/Sound Engineer Noah Woodburn & Natalie Huizenga
Executive Producer Leslie Carthy