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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Old Spice ads come in waves on YouTube

Videos prove popular with viewers

This video grab from an Old Spice advertisement provided by Procter & Gamble Co. shows ex-football player Isaiah Mustafa. (Associated Press)
Associated Press

NEW YORK – In one of the largest viral video ad campaigns ever launched, Old Spice is swarming YouTube.

The Procter & Gamble Co. brand released more than 180 videos featuring the campaign’s star, ex-football player Isaiah Mustafa. In the videos, he responds personally to online queries or comments from various Web users and some famous ones, including Ellen DeGeneres and Alyssa Milano.

The videos, all of which feature Mustafa in a towel speaking directly to the camera, have been steadily released over the last few days. On Friday, they accounted for eight of the most popular 11 videos on YouTube and more than 21 million views in total.

The “Smell Like a Man” ad campaign was launched earlier this year by Portland-based ad agency Wieden+Kennedy. The television spots have been popular and the first TV spot won a Cannes advertising festival award.