Next Episode, New Dad, Working Late - Old Spice | Clapboard Ad Archive
Next Episode, New Dad, Working Late is a 2019 film campaign from Old Spice crafted by Wieden + Kennedy that reinvents the personal care narrative through a humor-driven exploration of friendship, confidence, and life’s evolving milestones, anchored by the Swagger line’s distinctive scent. The campaign’s storyline charts the journey of two friends whose night out, charged with the unmistakable boost of Old Spice Swagger, spirals into a series of exaggerated, comedic episodes that serve as a metaphor for the product’s power to fuel confidence and camaraderie. This confidence, depicted as a catalyst for daring feats and memorable moments, extends beyond the night to portray the friends’ transition into adulthood, marriage, and fatherhood, underscoring how Old Spice remains a constant enabler of swagger amid life’s complexities. By threading relatable, everyday experiences with a nostalgic lens, the campaign injects a playful tone that resonates deeply with modern men navigating personal and social identities, positioning the product not merely as a grooming essential but as an integral part of life’s narrative arcs. The approach aligns squarely with Clapboard’s FORMAT#6—Benefit Causes Story, where the product’s benefit directly triggers the story’s events, making the humor and escalating absurdity a deliberate consequence of the Swagger scent’s confidence boost. This strategic storytelling underpins the brand’s message that Old Spice Swagger is more than a fragrance—it is a companion through life’s challenges and triumphs, fostering enduring bonds and personal swagger. The campaign’s three distinct media assets leverage film’s immersive qualities to amplify this message, supported by social media calls to action that invite audience participation and community building around the iconic scent. Old Spice’s choice to situate the narrative within the health and personal care category innovates by linking grooming to emotional resilience and social connection, a move that broadens the brand’s cultural relevance. Clapboard rates this campaign 79/100. Next Episode, New Dad, Working Late matters to the advertising industry because it demonstrates how personal care brands can transcend product utility by embedding their benefits into compelling life stories that reflect evolving male identities and social bonds.
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