Laura Helmuth: The marketing for women’s toiletries has always been ridiculous, but have you seen what they’re trying to sell to men these days?

The marketing for women’s toiletries has always been ridiculous, but have you seen what they’re trying to sell to men these days?

It is, of course, all just funny-smelling soap

my parents wouldn't let me buy Axe body spray in junior high because they said they didn't want me smelling like a 'French bordello' and it took a while to finally understand what they meant

I'm grateful that some of these now come aluminum free, and I am always amused when I buy Swagger or Krakengard and stride to the checkout feeling ultra masculine 🤣

Dukes has an 1880's baseball soap. I have no sense of smell so I have no idea what it actually smells like, but the description was funny and I'm a baseball fan, so I bought it. I'm a sucker.⚾😎

What exactly is a bear glove?

I have to admit I kind of love the Old Spice scents? I think they're kind of tongue-in-cheek? I am fascinated by this kind of marketing, though.

Ha! Those are funny, thank you. I take it back and salute what I hope is self-mockery marketing

it's tough to tell these days.

The self-mockery seems consistent with what Old Spice started doing with TV ads a few years back - using humor to revitalize a brand people associated with grandpas. But I agree that male-targeted marketing can be... iffy. I call these "the waffles that bite your face off."

Old Spice marketing is definitely tongue in cheek, but plenty of other brands have seriously ridiculous uber-macho images (cf. Dude Wipes)

They were always aware, I think. The Isaiah Mustafa ads especially.

An Interview With Fabio and Isaiah Mustafa from thewww.gq.com How the Italian beefcake's ineffable and undying Fabio-ness made him the true winner of Old Spice's viral campaign

I got a less extreme body wash and now ringtails are approaching and rubbing up against me on nature walks

I buy that in bulk

My daughter is a collegiate student-athlete. She and her friends prefer some of the deodorants for men. I'll have to see what she thinks of BEARGLOVE

It turns out that runner daughter's favorite deodorant is WOLFTHORNE. BEARGLOVE is her second favorite

Bearglove sounds like an ill-fated mediocre metal band with 2 albums both released in the late 80s

I might have been a Bearglove groupie

Until recently I worked at a pharmacy, and the men's products cracked me up. I mean, what does Swagger smell like? And Dude Wipes. "Oh, you need tactical butt wipes to go with your tactical diaper bag and uber manly shampoo?"

“Wolfthorn” is so close to the smell of Victoria’s Secret “Lovespell” that I suspect it’s a Ford Taurus/Mercury Sable deal

What man doesn’t want to smell like he just peed his pants after seeing that bear

Yes, it's straight outta Ron Burgundy. #StayClassySanDiego

mediachomp.com/if-old-spice...

Men's deodorant sure wasn't an upgrade for me. Scents that sound like they went through a Warrior Cats' name creator.

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