Old Spice introduces Dean Cole to get weird with its Fresher Collection
Deon Cole is the ‘fresh’ new face of the brand’s latest campaign promoting the all-new Old Spice Fresher Collection.
Dean Cole and Gabrielle Dennis for Old Spice
The new campaign for the men’s grooming brand states that ‘Men Have Skin, Too.’ It plays off the assumption that guys not only want to smell fresh, but they want and deserve grooming products with real ingredients and benefits like moisturization and exfoliation.
Celebrating the new collection, the brand named actor/comedian/writer Deon Cole (Black-ish, Angie Tribeca) as the new Old Spice Guy, who takes on the role as a global ambassador. Cole will debut in ‘Running on Empty,’ the first spot from the new campaign premiering on television nationwide January 20 during the NFL Conference Championship games.
In the spot, circular logic takes over, as Cole, in a bathrobe, confronts Gabrielle Dennis, complaining that she is using his precious body wash. “All I wanted was to use your body wash,” she says. “All I wanted was to have a body wash…men have skin too,” he quips back.
“We’ve scoured the earth for the world’s best ingredients in our products…and the perfect Old Spice Guy,” said Matt Krehbiel, Old Spice associate brand director at Procter & Gamble. “We’re ecstatic to welcome Deon, a talented and hilarious comedian and actor to the Old Spice family. Deon’s big personality and quick wit are a perfect fit for the humor that fans love and expect from Old Spice.”
Said Cole in a release: “Growing up using Old Spice was everything to me, so it's huge to join the world-famous group of Old Spice Guys. Mom, are you reading this? As the newest Old Spice Guy, the first thing I’m sharing is that men have skin, too, and the new Fresher Collection delivers real freshness forged with real ingredients that we can call our own. You’re smellcome, man.”
With Cole’s extensive background in acting, comedy and writing, it was natural for him to join the ranks of legendary Old Spice Guys and the brand known for its hilariously smart advertising campaigns. Cole stars as Charlie in ABC’s Black-ish for which he received a NAACP Image Award nomination for “Outstanding Supporting Actor in Comedy Series” and ABC Family’s Grown-ish. He’s also the host of BET’s game show Face Value with Tiffany Haddish. Cole received his first Emmy nomination as a staff writer for NBC’s The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien.
Following the release of ‘Running on Empty,’ the remaining ‘Men Have Skin Too’ spots will be available in early February on the Old Spice YouTube channel. Each creative piece features new Old Spice Guy Cole, and Dennis (Rosewood, Luke Cage) playing a prominent role in three spots. In addition, the campaign also features cameo appearances by actor/former NFL player Thomas Q. Jones and comedian/social media star, Keraun Harris.
