Old Spice vs H&M (Hennes & Mauritz)

About

Old Spice is one of the most iconic American men's grooming brands, producing deodorants, antiperspirants, body washes, shampoos, and styling products known for their bold, distinctive fragrances and irreverent marketing campaigns. Old Spice is owned by Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG), which acquired the brand in 1990, and subsequently transformed it from a declining heritage brand associated with older men into one of the most culturally relevant men's grooming brands through a landmark 2010 advertising campaign featuring actor Isaiah Mustafa ("The Man Your Man Could Smell Like").\n\nOld Spice's product portfolio spans deodorant and antiperspirant sticks and sprays (the core revenue driver), body wash (a growing category where Old Spice competes with Dove Men+Care), 2-in-1 shampoos and conditioners, and styling products. The brand's fragrance strategy uses masculine-coded scent profiles (cedar, bergamot, leather notes) with distinctive names like Swagger, Fiji, Wolfthorn, and Bearglove. The packaging redesign and irreverent advertising under P&G repositioned Old Spice for millennial and Gen Z male consumers who appreciated the brand's willingness to be funny and self-aware.\n\nIn 2025, Old Spice competes with Dove Men+Care (Unilever), Degree, AXE (Unilever), and Gillette's grooming line for men's deodorant and body care market share. The men's grooming market has seen premiumization as male skincare routines have expanded, but Old Spice maintains its core mass market positioning at affordable price points with broad distribution. The brand's ability to appeal to younger demographics through humor and cultural relevance while maintaining household recognition differentiates it from newer entrants. P&G's 2025 strategy for Old Spice focuses on digital and social media marketing, new fragrance launches, and expanding the body wash category where margins are higher than deodorant.