Did you know that more than half (59%) of Americans, including 69% of Millennials, agree that whether a man has facial hair is a major factor in forming a first impression of him? Which can be particularly damning in the office.
If they were equally qualified for the job, 70% of Americans are more likely to hire a man without facial hair than one with it. Ouch.
Why is that? Because 67% of Americans feel that a clean-shaven guy is more likely to have a larger bank account than a man with facial hair.
For as cool as all that was, Old Spice is back with Bob Giovanni, the self proclaimed “King of Products.” The patron saint of the new Old Spice Hardest Working Collection wants you to #smellegendary. Give this video a sniff:
I learned more about shaving from pro barber Woody Donahue in two hours than I had in 20-plus years of begrudgingly dragging a razor across my face. Donahue, the official Schick Hydro barber, set up shop at The Carlton Hotel in New York City and gave us the full treatment via hot towel shaves at a showcase event for the new Hydro5 and Edge Shave Gel.
Schick has made a concerted effort to be the most sensitive of razor companies. So sensitive, that in the past I have mused that the Hydro5 has all the sensitivity of a toddler petting a kitten on a pillow with a rainbow in the background, while listening to Richard Marx’s hit power ballad, “Hold Onto the Nights.”
If you’re like me prior to the event, you probably have no idea how great, and how necessary a full shave from a professional is. On top of being surprisingly relaxing (considering a dude has a razor at your jugular), a hot towel treatment at the start gently opens your pores and relaxes your skin.
Rather than smacking shaving cream on haphazardly and scraping a cold metal blade across your face, the billboard of “You Incorporated,” if you will, there are several aspects necessary for a proper shave, like also making sure the blade has been at least warmed slightly by running it under hot water.
After the hot towel cooled on my face after several minutes, Donahue got to work. The number of dudes I would trust to run a razor across my face and neck can be counted on one hand. But Donahue became one of the few, and easily the best.
This week, for the first time ever, Old Spice Guys Terry Crews and Isaiah Mustafa joined forces at the Redbury Hotel in Hollywood to celebrate their popular “Make A Smellmitment” campaign and the upcoming grand finale commercial, which debuts on Tuesday, Nov. 24 at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN “SportsCenter.”
We spoke to Terry and Isaiah about getting over fears of smellmitment, picking up hot babes and their journey to Old Spice pitchmen.
Bullz-Eye: Terry and Isaiah, I feel like I am in an Old Spice sandwich!
Isaiah Mustafa: Is that good or bad?
BE: We’ll see! So far, so good though. Are you guys sitting there with your shirts off right now? Because every time I see you on TV, you are both shirtless.
Isaiah: No, not this time.
Terry Crews: I am completely shirtless underneath my clothes right now!
BE: Guys, I have a confession for you – I’ve always been a little bit afraid of ‘Smellmitment.’ I can barely even say the word. Why should I re-evaluate my stance courtesy of Old Spice at this point in my life? I’ve been burned in the past.
Isaiah: Listen, you don’t want to do the same thing forever – you want to change it up every now and then. Right now, you have three different scents to choose from. It’s actually more than that, but right now we’re pushing these three. You know what you need to do? Go buy each one and switch it up. One week you do Bearglove, one week you do Timber, and the next week try Swagger and see what happens.
Terry: You have to examine the repercussions when you change it up. If good things happen, you made the right move.
Isaiah: You’re only as good as your last mistake, know what I mean? Make a smellmitment, man!
BE: I need some insight on how to score with hot babes. I know Old Spice is a key ingredient in that mixture, but from the vantage point of a couple of studs like you guys, what’s the number one thing I have to do?
Isaiah: Tell the truth.
Terry: I like to take a different approach. A lot of times, those other guys will tell you their scent will get you a bunch of girls and I ain’t gonna lie to you – if you’re not a good man, and you’re not a good person, you’re not gonna get anybody.
What you need to do is work on yourself. To be the best “you” that you can be. There is only one you. And that will attract the right woman to you. It’s not about tricking women into sleeping with me or being with me and all this stuff. It’s about being a good man, respecting women, respecting the people that are around you and treating everyone with respect. That’s the Old Spice way. That’s the difference that we do. And that comes through in the advertising. It’s an amazing company to work with.
BE: What was the journey for each of you guys to end up working for Old Spice?
Isaiah: For me, I just went to an audition. I got an email, went to the audition, and then sat back and hoped I got the job. And when it happened, I was just hoping the commercial would run a full cycle of 22 weeks. And six years later, here I am!
Terry: I remember watching “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” and I thought it was the best commercial ever made. That’s not even hyperbole, that’s the truth. Then, I was in the middle of something and got a call about doing an Old Spice commercial. And I was like, ‘YES, those are great, I saw that!’ And they said, they were looking for a ‘Terry Crews type.’ Because they were scared to ask me, because it was so weird.
You down with DSC? Yeah, you know me! To be honest, in the beginning, Dollar Shave Club intimidated me.
“It can’t be that simple, can it? But I’m so used to getting completely reemed every time I need to buy a new cartridge of razors. How will I feel inside?” It was sort of like going to the DMV and they were suddenly serving ice cream or some shit, saying “Hi” to you, asking about your day…
I was so used to being degraded by the corporate razor entities that somehow I lost my self worth in the process, dawg.
But Dollar Shave Club restored me. And here’s how it works:
– You choose one of three blade options that you’d like to receive every month: The Humble Twin (two blades) for $1/mo, The 4X (aka “The Lover’s Blade,” with four blades) for $6/mo, or The Executive for $9/mo, and it’s stanky six blades per cartridge will leave your face cheeks as smooth as your ass cheeks.
– You get four blades a month (one per week, Einstein) and a free handle at no extra charge. Can you handle it?
– No fees, no commitments, no weird overseas 800 number you have to painstakingly call to cancel and speak to some Indonesian guy whose anglicized name is “Karl.”
– You can change razor plans at any time, and when you do, the new handle is free. You can also change the frequency of razor deliveries from monthly to bi-monthly. You know, just like your ex-girlfriend from college.
– Satisfaction is 100% guaranteed.
Want more than the greatest razor relationship of your life? Double your pleasure by adding the Shave Butter ($8), Post-Shave Moisturizer ($9) or One Wipe Charles ($4), aka “ass-wipes.” They are literally buttwipes, for adults like you and me. Well, more like you.
