Good for Keiynan Lonsdale. After performing his first headline show for Billboard’s Live-At-Home Pride Edition event, Lonsdale is acting as a campaign ambassador.
Male grooming product company Old Spice recently released its latest campaign with W+K Portland. The new campaign is focused on confidence and challenges viewers to confront their own internal self-critic and smell ready for anything.
In conjunction with the new campaign release, Old Spice cited a Pew Research report with results saying that a majority of 18-to 29-year-olds in the U.S. are living with their parents. They also added research from the Cleveland Clinic that says 45% of young men reported having worse emotional and mental health due to pay cuts, job losses, and the like. The brand included all of this information to enhance its messaging of improving confidence in young men.
In the campaign’s main advertisement, we see actor and singer Keiynan Lonsdale slumped on a recliner while watching a show with friends. At the start, he is listless and lethargic. But then, the commercial reminds us that it’s a commercial selling body spray and deodorant. Meaning, Lonsdale is jumped up out of his stupor after sniffing the product and speeds off to chase his dreams.
While I am excited for Lonsdale, I do have to point how Old Sprice’s advertisement missed its own point. The brand included research about how young men are jobless and living at home, but then released a video ultimately blaming men. I mean, really? A message of “get off your butt and get racing to work?” It’s as if there isn’t a global pandemic, a rising price of living, an increasingly bloated workforce, and a stagnant minimum wage. But no, I guess the problem is men are lazy and directionless.
Despite my reservations and judgments, the campaign video was made with good intent. And, it was made just in time for the Super Bowl this year. While the sporting event will surely meet some defused energy due to the coronavirus pandemic, that doesn’t mean that companies will miss the chance to throw money at the hotly coveted marketing event. During the event, NFL stars like George Kittle and Chase Young will share stories of how they will “Smell Ready for Anything” in 2021. But, I’m excited to see that bisexual artist Keiynan Lonsdale will be making a splash with them through this advertisement. Again, good for him!
This article’s last note is the opinion of one contributing writer and not that of Instinct Magazine or other contributing writers.
