Alec Titan
In 2012, Old Spice released a marketing campaign called Muscle Music, starring Terry Crews, the Old Spice spokesman. In the video, Crews' muscles are hooked up to various musical instruments, including snare drums, bass drums, and a flame sax. Each time Crews flexes a muscle, a note or instrument plays, creating a symphony of sound. After the video ends, viewers can create their own muscle music using their keyboard. The campaign won numerous awards and was praised for its innovative use of interactivity.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Brand | Old Spice |
| Spokesperson | Terry Crews |
| Video Platform | Vimeo |
| Video Features | Terry Crews' muscles hooked up to musical instruments |
| Video Features | Terry Crews seated in shorts with EKG sensors on his body |
| Video Features | Terry Crews in a cabinet of curiosities music room |
| Video Features | Musical instruments include snare drums, bass drums, tom-toms, tambourines, guitar, bike horn, woodblock, and "flame sax" |
| Video Features | Flexing of muscles creates music |
| Interactive Feature | Users can create their own music using keyboard strokes |
| Interactive Feature | Users can record their music |
| Interactive Feature | Users can share their creations on social media |
| Awards | Cannes Lions, Clios, D&AD, One Show, and Shorty Awards |
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What You'll Learn
Old Spice's Muscle Music campaign
The interactive video features Crews shirtless in a strange, curiosity-cabinet-style music room, creating music by flexing his muscles. After 1 minute and 16 seconds of the demo, users are invited to create their own music using their keyboard. Each keystroke triggers a different sound, including shouts and slogans from Crews, as well as hidden loops and bonus sounds.
The campaign was a huge success, winning numerous awards at the Cannes Lions, Clios, D&AD, One Show, and the Shorty Awards. It built on the success of the Old Spice digital response campaign in 2010, which featured Isaiah Mustafa in a series of YouTube response videos.
Musician Aaron Isles further proved the campaign's concept by creating an epic Dub Remix using nothing but the sounds from Terry Crews' muscles (and a little Ableton tweaking). This user-generated content added a new dimension to the campaign, showcasing the versatility and creativity that could be achieved with the Muscle Music concept.
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Terry Crews' involvement
In 2012, Old Spice, known for its surreal advertising, released an ad campaign called "Muscle Music." The campaign featured spokesman and former NFL player Terry Crews shirtless in a strange cabinet of curiosities music room. Crews' muscles were wired to different instruments, and each time he flexed a muscle, a note or a sound was triggered. Some of the more memorable sounds included a "flame sax" and Crews shouting random phrases like "internet!" and "flam sax!"
After the ad, the campaign took an interactive twist, allowing users to create their own muscle music with each keyboard stroke. Users could manipulate Crews' muscles to make unique sounds and music. This was achieved through the "Terry Player" functionality, which was embedded within the Vimeo player, allowing viewers to "play" Terry Crews anywhere the experience was embedded, such as on Facebook, Twitter, or blogs.
The creative leads on the project, Jason Bagley and Craig Allen, explained that the idea for Muscle Music came from the observation that Terry Crews' muscles were big, strong, and capable of flexing. They wanted to harness that powerful flexing to create music and turn it into an interactive video experience.
The campaign was a huge success, winning numerous awards at the Cannes Lions, Clios, D&AD, One Show, and the Shorty Awards.
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How Muscle Music works
Muscle Music is a unique and creative marketing campaign by Old Spice, featuring the one and only Terry Crews and his impressive muscles. The concept revolves around connecting Terry's muscles to musical devices, creating an intriguing and interactive experience for viewers. Here's how Muscle Music works and captures the audience's imagination:
The Setup: In the Muscle Music video, Terry Crews, known for his energetic and muscular presence in Old Spice campaigns, takes centre stage. He is shirtless, showcasing his muscular physique, and adorned with EKG sensor pads attached to various parts of his body. The setting is a quirky cabinet of curiosities, surrounded by an array of musical instruments and unusual equipment. This intriguing visual setup piques the audience's interest right from the start.
Muscle-Instrument Connection: The sensors attached to Terry's body are cleverly rigged to correspond with different musical instruments. Each sensor is linked to a specific instrument, creating a unique musical setup. This includes instruments such as snare drums, bass drums, tom-toms, tambourines, guitars, and even a "flame sax" set of three saxophones. The connection between Terry's muscles and these instruments forms the foundation of the Muscle Music experience.
Flexing the Muscles, Making Music: When Terry flexes a particular muscle, the corresponding sensor triggers a note or sound from the connected instrument. For example, flexing a bicep might play a snare drum, while flexing an abdominal muscle could sound a guitar riff. By flexing different muscles, Terry creates a symphony of sounds, with each muscle contraction adding to the musical composition. The audience bears witness to an impressive display of muscle-powered music, a true fusion of physical strength and musical expression.
Interactive Engagement: The Muscle Music campaign takes a brilliant interactive turn after the video. Viewers are invited to create their own muscle music using their keyboards. Each keystroke triggers a different musical sound, allowing users to compose unique musical pieces. This interactive element encourages engagement and participation, transforming viewers into musicians themselves. The ability to record and share these creations further enhances the experience, fostering a sense of creativity and community.
Technological Innovation: The Muscle Music campaign showcases innovative digital capabilities. By partnering with Vimeo, Old Spice created a custom interactive experience within the Vimeo player. This allowed users to engage with the content directly on various platforms, including Facebook and Twitter, without leaving those sites. The seamless integration of technology and music elevates the overall experience, making it accessible and shareable across multiple channels.
Muscle Music blends physical theatre, music, and technology in a captivating way. By harnessing the power of Terry Crews' muscles and combining it with musical instruments, Old Spice crafted an unforgettable and award-winning campaign that resonated with audiences, offering a truly unique and interactive musical journey.
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Awards won
Old Spice's Muscle Music won several awards, including the Shorty Awards, Cannes Lions, Clios, D&AD, One Show, and the Shorty Awards. Muscle Music is an innovative digital campaign by Wieden+ Kennedy Portland that lets users create music by flexing their muscles. The campaign features Terry Crews, who flexes his muscles to create a continuous beat. The interactive functionality was well-received and was embedded across various social media platforms, including Facebook and Twitter.
The Shorty Awards are an international award show that recognizes and celebrates innovation and creativity in digital and social media. Muscle Music was recognized for its groundbreaking digital innovation, marking a new era of possibilities for online content. The campaign received praise from various media outlets, including Mashable, BuzzFeed, and Ad Age, for its interactivity and seamless integration of brand elements.
The Cannes Lions Awards also acknowledged the campaign's creativity and impact, showcasing Old Spice's ability to blend interactivity and entertainment seamlessly. Similarly, the Clios Awards celebrated the campaign's strategic use of interactive video and social media integration, highlighting its success in engaging and captivating its target audience.
The D&AD and One Show Awards further reinforced the campaign's excellence in creativity and innovation. Muscle Music's ability to combine technology and user engagement likely contributed to its recognition by these prestigious awards. Overall, Old Spice's Muscle Music campaign garnered industry acclaim for its innovative approach, showcasing the potential for brands to create immersive and engaging experiences for their audiences.
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Interactive functionality
In 2012, Wieden+ Kennedy Portland, in collaboration with Old Spice, launched an interactive digital campaign called "Muscle Music". The campaign featured a video of former NFL player and actor Terry Crews shirtless in a strange cabinet of curiosities, creating "muscle music" by flexing his muscles, which were hooked up to various musical instruments. The interactive twist came at the end of the video, where users could create their own muscle music using their keyboard strokes. This "universal embedded interactivity" allowed viewers to play and record their music directly within the Vimeo interface, without leaving the site. The "Terry Player" functionality was attached to the end of each user-created video, making it a unique and customizable shared experience.
The Muscle Music campaign won numerous awards, including at the Cannes Lions, Clios, D&AD, One Show, and the Shorty Awards. The interactive functionality is no longer available, but it showcased a creative way to engage and involve users in a brand experience.
The success of the Muscle Music campaign can be attributed to its innovative use of interactive video and its ability to provide a unique and customizable experience for users. By allowing users to create and share their own muscle music, the campaign encouraged participation and social engagement, contributing to its viral success.
The Muscle Music campaign serves as an example of how interactive functionality can enhance a brand's digital campaign and create a memorable and award-winning experience for users. By leveraging interactive video technology and social media platforms, the campaign was able to capture the attention of users and offer them a fun and engaging way to connect with the Old Spice brand.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, muscle music is real. It was created by Old Spice in a marketing campaign featuring Terry Crews.
In the video, Terry Crews's muscles are hooked up to musical devices like snare drums, bass drums, tom-toms, tambourines, guitars, and even a "flame sax". When he flexes a muscle, the corresponding instrument plays a note.
Yes, in an interactive twist, users can create their own muscle music using their keyboard.
