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Old Spice's Silly, Stinky Pirate Ship Sets Sail
And someone's on a seahorse
Arrgh! This ship reeks, mateys!
Thankfully, Old Spice comes aboard with the fresh scents in a campy pirate-themed push by Madrid-based agency Burns. The work launches this week across markets in Europe and Asia.
Isaiah Mustafa, who reprised his classic Old Spice character in last month’s Super Bowl, doesn’t make the trip. But there’s a splashy bit near the end with a seahorse and lots of shiver-me-timbers moments to enjoy.
“Advertising for this category doesn’t have to be basic or boring. And our role as Old Spice historically has been to elevate it, moving it to entertainment,” says Enric Jiménez Prat, senior director of personal care for Europe at brand parent P&G. “I believe this is what the new campaign is doing.”
Indeed, it’s a fresh take on familiar themes, charting a fab new course through freaky waters—or whatever alliterative maritime metaphors you’d prefer.
The Burns team—led by co-ECDs Pablo Madrid and Pablo Salinas—nod to the brand’s iconic spots while vibrantly conveying the notion of long-lasting odor protection via the OTT cinematic set-up.
“The mission for this campaign was to tell a story based on a consumer insight: the skepticism toward long-lasting claims made by deodorant brands. So that’s where we started—from that disbelief,” Madrid tells Muse. “The pirate world was a fun and logical choice. We knew we could land incredible jokes that fit the brand while also taking advantage of the well-known stinky atmosphere of a pirate ship. How could a pirate smell good for so long? Old Spice is the answer.”
So, how about that seahorse?
“Deciding on details like the stickiness of its skin, the size of its eyes, its expression, or even the sound it made felt like being kids again, imagining a fantastic creature,” Madrid recalls. “Then, we moved on to 3D testing, buoyancy experiments with a polystyrene mock-up—and finally, a very, very long post-production process.”
Director Martín Jalfen, working through production house Roma, shot aboard the tall-ship Nao Victoria docked on the Costa del Sol.
That setting amps up the visual palette and boosts the campaign’s look and feel.
The Nao Victoria “is a replica of the first vessel to circumnavigate the world,” says Salinas. “The casting and the art department were absolutely fantastic—the actors truly believed they were pirates both on and off camera. Even some random people who came across the shoot wanted to take pictures with them. It felt like being at Disney World.”
Along with the impressive hero, shorter clips will run in select markets. And the parrot rocks!
