Debuting during Superbowl Sunday of this year, the Old Spice commercial has been an immediate success accumulating over 18 million hits on Youtube.
The name of this rather robust individual is Isaiah Mustafa, acting as the "manly-man" face of Old Spice's campaign. Old Spice has always had a reputation for appealing to the population's masculinity and presenting the benefits of smelling like a "real man" -- i.e. pleasing women. Clearly, this man does in fact possess some very manly characteristics and it is easily inferred that finding a female companion would not be as arduous a task for a guy like him. His body is aesthetically pleasing to say the least, being very fit and tone and easily within view. He possesses a sexual, deep, sultry voice that is used to directly communicate with the women watching the commercial. Tickets to the targeted woman's "thing [she] likes" and diamonds flow from his hands smoothly and without prompting, everything a woman would love their man to do. He even rides a white stallion, the fairytale component to every little girl's dream man. All aforementioned aspects brought into this commercial are pointed out in a direct and humorous manner as if to say "hey look at this and sit in awe and wonder", a rather comical approach that slightly mocks subliminal messaging in other commercials. Isaiah is the epitome of a masculine sex symbol that caters to Old Spice's campaign towards drawing men towards their product to be like Isaiah, a "real" man that knows how to appeal to women everywhere.
