I’ve just been called a douche on Twitter (http://twitter.com/andrewmackenzie/status/18553562836) for not specifically mentioning the Old Spice art director and copywriter in an article that was written here: http://www.fastcompany.com/1670314/old-spice-youtube-videos-wieden.
I know I’m not supposed to rise to things like this on the Internet. It’s rule one, on page one, chapter one of Social Media 101. But I hate it when I get called a douche. Because my mother says I’m not. And I trust her. But at the same time I also feel bad if people think the team aren’t getting the props that they deserve – for they deserve many more props than I am able to proffer. The art director, copywriter, creative directors, crew and Isaiah are tirelessly turning out amazing / hilarious / surprising / fresh videos time after time. World class humour at a pace that defies belief. Without this content there would be nothing. No responses. Nothing to put on the Internet. Literally a void of nothingness.
If you want to find out more about the team who’ve managed to write nearly 200 ads in 48 hours – they’re mostly listed here: http://www.canneslions.com/work/film/ – and if you want to see and hear 2 of them, there’s an interview with Eric and Craig on YouTube here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDk9jjdiXJQ (link kindly supplied by Mr Douche-Caller). Their contribution is as unquestionable as Isaiah and his towel. I had assumed that would have come through loud and clear. But aside from the creatives, the crew and the performer, this seemingly ‘simple’ thing is the product of a team of people who came together in a way that I’ve personally never witnessed before. The social media guys who figured out the who and where, spotting the opportunities, pulling out the gems and putting them cleverly back into the world. The tech guys who pulled together a super smart workflow system which underpinned this production. The editors who edited all that stuff as it happened. All the people around the set. The account people. Planners. Media folk. PR. All working in real time to produce and distribute internet-primed content of amazing quality. And you’d imagine that this kind of thing would require a great producer to pull off. And you’d be right. And of course it’d be impossible to talk about this without mentioning P&G. Without a client brave enough to work in this kind of compressed time frame again there would be nothing. That relationship of trust and understanding has been built up over time by a team of people working here at W+K and P&G, turning out great work and learning from it every step of the way. Something I’ve been 100% uninvolved with until now. I could ramble on about this thing all day, but I’m not going to. This was an amazing team that had a lot of fun doing something that I felt honoured and privileged to be a part of. And it seems like other people are enjoying it too. Which is nice. If that makes me a douche. I’ll take the hit.
I know I’m not supposed to rise to things like this on the Internet. It’s rule one, on page one, chapter one of Social Media 101. But I hate it when I get called a douche. Because my mother says I’m not. And I trust her. But at the same time I also feel bad if people think the team aren’t getting the props that they deserve – for they deserve many more props than I am able to proffer. The art director, copywriter, creative directors, crew and Isaiah are tirelessly turning out amazing / hilarious / surprising / fresh videos time after time. World class humour at a pace that defies belief. Without this content there would be nothing. No responses. Nothing to put on the Internet. Literally a void of nothingness.
If you want to find out more about the team who’ve managed to write nearly 200 ads in 48 hours – they’re mostly listed here: http://www.canneslions.com/work/film/ – and if you want to see and hear 2 of them, there’s an interview with Eric and Craig on YouTube here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDk9jjdiXJQ (link kindly supplied by Mr Douche-Caller). Their contribution is as unquestionable as Isaiah and his towel. I had assumed that would have come through loud and clear. But aside from the creatives, the crew and the performer, this seemingly ‘simple’ thing is the product of a team of people who came together in a way that I’ve personally never witnessed before. The social media guys who figured out the who and where, spotting the opportunities, pulling out the gems and putting them cleverly back into the world. The tech guys who pulled together a super smart workflow system which underpinned this production. The editors who edited all that stuff as it happened. All the people around the set. The account people. Planners. Media folk. PR. All working in real time to produce and distribute internet-primed content of amazing quality. And you’d imagine that this kind of thing would require a great producer to pull off. And you’d be right. And of course it’d be impossible to talk about this without mentioning P&G. Without a client brave enough to work in this kind of compressed time frame again there would be nothing. That relationship of trust and understanding has been built up over time by a team of people working here at W+K and P&G, turning out great work and learning from it every step of the way. Something I’ve been 100% uninvolved with until now. I could ramble on about this thing all day, but I’m not going to. This was an amazing team that had a lot of fun doing something that I felt honoured and privileged to be a part of. And it seems like other people are enjoying it too. Which is nice. If that makes me a douche. I’ll take the hit.
Iain, it’s been a pleasure to watch the whole shebang, beyond just the ad geeks. Thanks to you and the whole team for proving that creativity, risk, talent and execution combined equal incredible participation and results.
Haters gonna hate.
This campaign is by far the best usage of social media that I can recall. I hope one day to have the opportunity to be a part of a campaign like this.
Iain – fabulous job across the board on Old Spice, and a well-written response here praising the full team. Nicely done – keep on raising the bar.
Iain, your mum is right: your not a “douche”
sometimes, planners and strategist just don’t get the press they deserve. although i know your more than that, well done too
next time your in london, it would be my pleasure to buy you a pint and a packet of crisps at the OAP, where we last were nearly two years ago.
Those creatives rule. You can praise the builders, the plumbers, the transport consultants etc but the architect with the vision and belief will always be God.
Iain,
That was a great campaign. Million gazzillion thumbs up. And I don’t think it is unfair to not reveal all the details behind a campaign. A little mystery that gets people to speculate only adds to the ripple that a great campaign like this one created. You and your team has set the bar high.
You guys did a great job. Going to be hard to top this. :-)
I’m thinking Old Spice Man cards (think baseball card stock) with scratch and sniff abs, so we can actually smell the Old Spice products. Stick them in all the magazines. I mean who wouldn’t want to scratch and sniff his abs right? :-)
Happy to get another mention on your blog, son. And you never asked me if I thought you were a douche – isn’t that French for shower? As long as you’re having fun, I’m happy. And it looks as though other people are smiling, too.
A smart webhead once told me, in the midst of a semi-memorable flamewar I had to stay out of, something I’ve never forgotten:
“Arguing on the Internet is like running in the Special Olypmics; even if you win, you’re still a retard.”
I know it’s not PC, but damn, it helps.
That video link gives them a ridiculous amount of props, they should have been happy with that! some people…