Old Spice Introduces New Products With Scent-Focused Showcase, Lumberjacks

March 19, 2012

The Old Spice media event at Highline Stages on Tuesday, March 13, wasn't the typical gathering of beauty editors, but instead felt more like one of the Procter & Gamble brand's tongue-in-cheek commercials and viral video campaigns. Designed to introduce two new scents in the men's-grooming line of products—Champion and Danger Zone—the evening affair also managed to convey Old Spice's less serious side, with pitchmen Terry Crews and Isaiah Mustafa hamming it up for the crowd and a collection of overtly masculine decor elements.

Building on Old Spice's quirky marketing approach, PR agency Citizen Paine worked with producer Shiraz Events to furnish the raw venue with a mix of educational stations and playful vignettes, including areas where representatives could illustrate the science and inspiration behind the products as well as places for attendees to watch previous ads.

Brown couches, plaid pillows, simple wooden tables, and props like antlers set the scene, while waitstaff passed a selection of macho bites and booze. Dishes included spicy fried buffalo chicken breast with blue cheese and barbecued brisket with grilled pineapple and slaw on a sesame bun. The cocktail menu offered the "Champion," comprised of vodka, nocino (a liqueur made from walnuts), spiced apple juice, and sage honeysuckle syrup. and the "Danger Zone," a combination of scotch whiskey, anise maple syrup, and lemon juice topped with dark ale.

Perhaps the most unconventional component was the section carved out for Mike Sullivan and Dave Jewett, a pair of lumberjacks from the champion crosscut team. Armed with a two-man saw and a branded log, the duo showed off their skills and invited attendees as well as Mustafa and Crews to try their hand at log cutting.

In line with its quirky marketing campaigns, the event included activities like log cutting. The mens grooming brand brought in champion crosscutters Mike Sullivan and Dave Jewett (pictured), to demonstrate the art of sawing.

Photo: Courtesy of Shiraz Events

Isaiah Mustafa, the star of Old Spice's memorable 2010 commercials and its interactive YouTube promotion, made an appearance at the event, along with fellow spokesperson Terry Crews. Mustafa and Crews played up their waggish characters from the ads, albeit with their shirts on.

Photo: Stuart Ramson/Insider Images for Old Spice

To open the night, Josh Talge, Old Spice brand manager for Procter & Gamble, took to the stage and introduced the new scent collections, Champion and Danger Zone. Talge also spoke about the history of the brand, its evolution, and how the campaigns have changed.

Photo: Stuart Ramson/Insider Images for Old Spice

Inside the raw space, Shiraz Events created vignettes for the different activities, including a lounge in the center that held comfy couches, the new Old Spice products, and masculine decor elements like antlers.

Photo: Courtesy of Shiraz Events

Different stations around the perimeter of the space offered information for attendees. At the area dubbed "Taste of Old Spice," the brand showcased food inspired by its different scents. This included grapefruit mezcal salsa and blue corn tortilla chips, nuts spiced with a mixture of black pepper, nutmeg, and ground star anise, and zucchini, asparagus, and romanesco cauliflower with white bean and sage hummus.

Photo: Stuart Ramson/Insider Images for Old Spice

Educational vignettes provided information on how the fragrances are inspired and developed as well as how products work from a physiological perspective.

Photo: Courtesy of Shiraz Events

In addition to videos of its commercials playing on screens and posters from previous marketing campaigns decorating the walls, event visuals included tongue-in-cheek masculine props, like wooden bears, footballs, and plaid pillows.

Photo: Courtesy of Shiraz Events

Shiraz Events set up two bars at the event, each named for the new scent Old Spice was introducing. The design (and bartender outfits) of these areas matched the moniker of the fragrance, with a sport motif for the "Champion bar" and a hunting lodge-like scene for the "Danger Zone bar."

Photo: Courtesy of Shiraz Events

Much like the decor, the menu for the evening was designed to feel manly, with drinks like scotch whiskey with anise maple syrup and lemon juice, topped with dark ale and an orange slice. Passed snacks included buffalo chicken bites and barbecued brisket sliders.

Photo: Courtesy of Shiraz Events