Bad Advertising: Mando Deodorant

There has been a noticeable trend in advertising for men’s products that they are overtly “masculine” in their approach. This type of advertising is rooted in an appeal to a person’s experience and it can be effective when done right. Another trend in men’s products, most notably in Old Spice, is heightened “manliness” in a surreal, comedic, and over-the-top way. Old Spice’s style is taking a common tactic and bringing originality that inevitably leaves the viewer with a strong opinion of the product. However, this Mando Deodorant ad demonstrates how boundary-pushing eventually becomes a mainstream practice once it becomes popular. Mando finds a way to strip the personality and style of Old Spice and make it blander, deciding to be unimpressive in classic masculine appeal as well as stale in its attempt to be “over-the-top” comedic.

Mando in this ad attempts to channel the energy of Old Spice, yet in my opinion, it fails to achieve the same level of comedic timing and passion. Even if you agree that the Mando ads are as funny or attention-grabbing as Old Spice, the ad completely loses all of its momentum when it stops all of its jokes and decides to give a presentation of facts. This presentation of facts about the product shows the lack of creativity in the advertisement other than the blatant idea stealing from a more known and successful product. The ad is simple, it takes the eye-catching style of Old Spice, and it attempts to appeal to a viewer who is familiar with Old Spice ads. Once the viewer who knows the competitor’s ads is in to watch the Mando ad, the main character spews out facts about the product. 

I believe the Mando deodorant ad is lazy, attempting to piggyback off of previously created ideas to profit on their product. This laziness is evident in the lack of creativity throughout the ad other than the original premise. The most ineffective part is that there is no distinguishable iconography, slogan, or sound that is memorable enough to differentiate this product from the superior Old Spice ads which have the signature whistle. Even though the company knows its audience and the product selling points, it finds no unique way to capitalize on this knowledge which leaves the viewer with no real taste for the brand’s identity.