I just saw this on my deodorant. I think I’m going to change my brand.
Contains odor-fighting “atomic robots” that “shoot lasers” at your “stench monsters” and replaces them with fresh, clean, masculine “scent elves”
I love humor in advertising, and an attempt to break with old traditions and grab a new audience has my complete support. Old Spice is an old tradition. My dad used it, and I’m 60. Grabbing new market share with something outrageous, something tasteless, hilarious, or risqué makes excellent sense, and I’d go out of my way to support it. But this? Not just the content, but the use of all caps, and quote marks around the silliness as if it’s a, what? a wink? Seem poorly done. The text is embarrassingly stupid.
I did a search for the phrase on line and it turned up quite a few hits, but rather than pointing out the complete juvenility of the thing, they all think it’s hilarious. One news columnist praised the text in a review. “I want my deodorant to shoot lasers!” someone shouted. To them all, it’s a great campaign. I don’t see it. Does age really do that? Like the high pitched whistles that only kids can hear? It seems so. The humor in this is a few octaves out of my range.