CGI? They Don't Need No Stinkin' CGI

As I mentioned in my first post, it was Wieden & Kennedy’s work on the current Old Spice campaign, ‘The Man Your Man Could Smell Like,’ that got me so interested in the agency to begin with. The original 30-second spot first aired during Super Bowl XLIV on February 7, 2010, and instantly became a viral sensation. I’m willing to bet you have seen the ad a number of times already, but if you haven’t, or don’t quite remember, take a second to check it out in the video below…

Now stop. Replay the ad in your mind...

• Man is wearing a towel in the bathroom, Old Spice bottle in hand, water running from the shower head behind him…
• Boom! Bathroom and towel are whisked away, shirt falls over his shoulders, and he’s on a boat...
• Slow zoom, no more Old Spice bottle, but a clam with “two tickets to that thing you love”…
• “The tickets are now diamonds!” Old Spice bottle emerges from his hand, zoom out to discover…
• Yeah, he’s on a horse.

So, what’s the first thought that comes to mind? If you’re anything like me, the humorous dialogue and originality stole the spotlight, but the sneaky transitions were dismissed as simple computer-generated imagery, or CGI, for short. They had to be, right?

WRONG! In fact, it’s mostly the exact opposite. During the last year this campaign has blossomed into a number of related ads and has continued to receive praise from the advertising industry and consumers alike. Over time, I grew more and more intrigued with the new spots and one day found myself searching the web for an archive, though a good few laughs were all I expected to find. Instead, I discovered a video interview that discussed and revealed some of the secrets behind the production of the original ad, and more importantly, made me a fan of the agency.

The interview was conducted between Leo Laporte, of twit.tv, and the two-man creative team responsible for generating and writing the spots, Eric Kallman and Craig Allen. The pair is part of Wieden & Kennedy’s Portland headquarters, which has boasted the Old Spice account for nearly four years now. Like me, Laporte had assumed that most of the ad was accomplished by CGI, though Kallman and Allen reveal otherwise. In reality, CGI was only used for one single effect during the entire spot. Even more impressive, the entire ad is one continuous take!

Eric Kallman (left) and Craig Allen

Instead of using CGI to smooth transitions between locations and scenes, the agency opted to take a more unique, less common approach. Once the ad had been written, Kallman and Allen worked with the production crew to build a set that would allow them to capture the ad in a single take. This called for the construction of a set that included a three walled bathroom (with running water), and half of a boat. Also, the set was built on a beach, and a real horse was used to help deliver the spot’s catchy punch line. If that’s not enough, the team was faced with finding an actor that could deliver the message with the swagger and style they were aiming to portray. That man turned out to be Isaiah Mustafa, a former NFL wide receiver that had everything they were looking for.

The unique approach has worked out well for the agency and Old Spice, especially when considering the fact that the original ad has accumulated over 30 million viral views in just over a year. The ad was also honored as the Grand Prix for film at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival in June of 2010, followed by a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Commercial a month later. However, these accolades are not properly appreciated until you really see what went into the making of this commercial. Check out the full video interview below and discover all the magic behind the creative production that has helped make this campaign so special.

Ehrlich, B. (2011, March 17). Lessons Learned From The Old Spice Campaign & Its Imitators. In Mashable. Retrieved March 20, 2011, from <http://mashable.com/2011/03/16/old-spice-imitators/>