Old Spice sold to women to grow men’s sales 107%
Here’s a copywriting question worth keeping on your desk: are you writing to the person who uses your product, or the person who buys it? For many businesses, those are the same person. For a surprising number, they aren’t.
Old Spice figured this out in 2010. The men’s grooming brand was struggling, and it bet its comeback on that single distinction.
The Insight Behind the Campaign
The brand’s ad copy wasn’t aimed at men. It was aimed at the women who buy body wash for the men in their lives. The famous line captures the angle directly:
“Sadly, he isn’t me, but if he stopped using ladies’ scented body wash and switched to Old Spice, he could smell like he’s me.”
The message speaks to a woman’s purchase decision while flattering the man she’s buying for. Two audiences, one piece of copy, one clear call to action.
What It Did to Sales
According to Nielsen data cited in the piece, Old Spice body-wash sales rose 55% over the three months around the campaign. At its peak month, sales were up 107%.
The Operator Takeaway
Before you write a headline, a subject line, or a product page, ask who controls the purchase. Is it the end user, a manager, a partner, a parent? If the buyer and the user are different people, your copy needs to speak to the buyer’s motivation, not just the user’s experience.
This principle shows up in B2B constantly (the person who uses your SaaS is rarely the person who signs the contract), but it applies just as often in consumer products, gifting, and anything sold through a household rather than to an individual.
I’m founder of BizStack at Cagri Sarigoz LLC and a passionate advocate for entrepreneurs.
With over 14 years in tech, marketing, and AI, including my role as Head of SEO at CitizenShipper and co-founder of TaleBot at Intale AI, I’m dedicated to sharing genuine, useful product insights and tips.
At BizStack, I aim to cut through the digital noise to provide clear, actionable advice.
And more than all else, I’m a father to a (always) little girl and a husband.
Contact me at [email protected] for assistance.
