Semiotics Assignment

Submitted by:
Ayush Agarwal
PGP-2
20130120099
Semiotic Analysis of Old Spice: Smell Like a Man, Man
Campaign












Print Ad:
Old Spice came up with a popular Man on a horse campaign in 2010.The
campaign had print and video advertisements wherein an Old Spice man was
depicted as manly by associating him with different random things and
activities. This was done so that we as audience can associate the product
with the masculinity of the Old Spice man. The above image is of a print
campaign which shows the Old Spice Man with a pack of Old Spice in a hand
while he is sitting on a horse at a tropical beach and the slogan says: Smell
like a man, man Old Spice. This print ad pretty much conveys the general
message communicated across the campaign. Denotation is an image or
thing which we can be immediately interpreted by anyone consciously or sub
consciously. Connotation is the deciphered meaning we derive on seeing the
denoted item. For example a specific smell may drive the inhaler to a specific
image or thing in his mind or a sound clip may suggest a specific mental image
to someone. The connotations may not be same for every individual as it
largely depends on previous personal experiences.

In this campaign a lot of strong connotations are used. A fit and muscular man
sitting topless on a shirt clearly suggests health, fitness, masculinity and
desirability. The man is shown sitting with his hand on his hips which is a subtle
indication of being an extrovert who is confident about himself. Also, the
character has his shirt draped around his shoulders which indicates heroism as
we often associate such capes with superheroes. The animal used is a horse
which again suggests a rustic, rugged and wild personality. The colour of the
horse is white which gives the sense of purity, positivity and honesty. The white
trousers of the man is camouflaged with the horse to indicate that he too is
similar to the horse. Thus the white colour is used twice as in western movies
white has always been associated with goodness and purity. However if the
same campaign is shown to people living in eastern countries then they may
interpret the same very differently as white signifies the exact opposite
meaning of unhappiness, death, coldness and misfortune. This shows how the
individual experience of a person affects the way he decodes the message.
The backdrop shows us an exotic location of a tropical beach and tree
suggesting calm, relaxed, serene atmosphere, free from worries etc. Even here,
someone who is allergic to beaches or has had a bad experience in such a
place would definitely not be attracted by this advertisement. Thus, a positive
image for someone may become negative for someone else depending on
their personal experience. This clearly is suggestive that the product Old
Spice would make us feel like the man sitting on the horse. Additionally it
shows shining beads (like diamond) falling from the mans hand at the point
wherein it feels like they are coming out of the bottle. This gives a rich, wealthy
and premium outlook to the product.

Male gender has always been stereotyped with being fit, healthy, strong, and
rugged and the same stereotype is at play in this campaign. The ad
intentionally shows a man riding a horse in order to suggest his capability to
ride and his fascination for exotic places is highlighted through the tropical
backdrop. The sun does not stop the Old Spice man and thus he is shown to
be comfortable in the shining sun with little clothing. His clothes also indicate
that he is fashionable and he does not refrain from showing off his body. We
are constantly hammered with images of perfect man and each one of them
shows them to be physically strong, outgoing, exuberant, muscular etc. The
same image is intentionally used here in order to make him look aspirational.
An image every guy would like to see for himself. What makes this
advertisement interesting is the way in which it was presented. The obvious
signifiers like man, beach, diamonds etc were used in a humorous way so that
the whole idea does not look stupid but it also conveys the intended message
effectively. Someone might consider it to be stupid of a man to ride a horse on
a beach or some might consider it childish to wear a cape in order to look like
a superhero. These negative connotations are avoided by the element of
humour used in the campaign. Thus, these stupidities instead convey that you
can be like the Old Spice man if you buy this product.

Video Ad
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owGykVbfgUE
The campaign is targeted at woman in general as it clearly states in most of
advertisements (video) look at your man. This was specifically intended to
target the section which generally buys such stuff for their husbands. The video
ad also starts with a normal backdrop of a washroom and ends at an exotic
location. This is to indicate the change in the lives of people once they start
using Old Spice. The voice of the man is deep and husky which indicates that
he is proficient sexually. The sentences have a personal address to the women
out there and this helps establish a personal connect with audience. The
tagline is written in a plain and bold fonts which suggests that it is a fact
whereas the brand name is written with Italic fonts to indicate sophistication.
The sound of birds and waves gives a feel of realism to the video.


Result:
The advertisement campaign was widely appreciated and generated quick
revenues for Old Spice. The sale of Old Spice increased by 40% soon after the
release of the campaign.