2016 and 2017 have been incredibly strange and amazing years for professional wrestling, both in and out of the ring. Along with the surprising twists and turns various companies and wrestlers have made, new kinds of content have emerged, allowing fans to enjoy wrestlers in settings other than a big arena. None of these have been funnier than WWE’s Southpaw Regional Wrestling.
In anticipation of the (rumored) mock 80’s wrestling promotion coming to the WWE Network, Player.One talked to the Old Spice team at advertising agency Wieden+Kennedy about how the personal hygiene company came to work on Season 2 of Southpaw Regional Wrestling, how the show blends with Old Spice’s distinct brand of humor and what John Cena smells like.
“Basically, Old Spice just launched a new product line called Invisible Spray anti-perspirant. We were looking for partners to amplify the launch,” Wieden+Kennedy’s Melissa Meier told Player.One. “WWE has been a long-standing partner of ours. They have a huge audience that’s super engaged and filled with obsessive fans.”
The timing was right for WWE, which was looking for a sponsor for Southpaw Season 2. “They came to us with this Southpaw opportunity as we were in discussion. I think it was such a great fit for Old Spice especially. WWE has such a huge fanbase of the audience we want to reach and for Southpaw specifically, it’s such a fun, humorous thing that WWE does,” Meier said.
Old Spice has established a distinct voice through the bizarre and surreal humor in its advertisements, featuring celebrities like Steven Ogg, Terry Crews and NFL player Von Miller. Working with WWE and their Superstars was a great fit, especially since the humor of Southpaw lines up perfectly with Old Spice’s comedic sensibility.
“That was what I think made it such a great fit,” Meier said. “The history of Southpaw and the heritage of Old Spice as a brand. Humor is so embedded and at the forefront.”
Sadly, Meier couldn’t offer any solid information about what John Cena smells like. “Unfortunately I don’t, but I imagine he smells like Old Spice Bearglove,” she said. While that may be true, Cena could also smell like Tapout. What’s with that guy and promoting body sprays?
So what do you think? Have you watched Southpaw Regional Wrestling Season 2? What’s your go-to fragrance when you are looking to smell good? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
