Old Spice’s latest ad campaign, Never Let a Friend Lose His Swagger, showcases a male crisis sweeping the nation, and perhaps the world. Guys who once traveled as part of a “wolf pack” are now facing a “lone(ly) wolf” epidemic, where their important guy friendships are taking a backseat to lame excuses for not hanging out.
 
Fact is, men are falling into guy traps that keep them couch-bound when they should be hanging out with their friends. Men are most likely to skip a guy’s night in favor of working overtime (49%)—a completely unacceptable excuse—or to take some “me” time (49%) whatever that means—according to the Old Spice Swagger Survey of 1,000 US men ages 18–34 conducted by Wakefield Research. And while paperwork and the couch are the two biggest traps keeping men from seeing their guys, they’re not the only man holes men are falling into.
 
Some experts say that giving up on close male friendships is one of the first signs that their confidence—and Swagger—is being lost. That’s where Old Spice steps in. It’s been 11 years since the manliest grooming brand on the planet launched its Swagger collection, which quickly became the No. 1 premium scent in the brand’s portfolio among young men. Today, Old Spice re-introduces the Swagger scent lineup with a fresh new look and campaign, giving guys a wake-up call to keep their Swagger and their crew intact.
 
The new ad campaign debuts online July 22 and on TV July 23 and stars actors Sarunas Jackson (Insecure, Games People Play, Good Trouble) and Alberto Rosende (Shadowhunters) to play prominent roles. The ads overly dramatize the often silly reasons men sacrifice the “guy time” keeping their friendships alive and celebrate Old Spice Swagger as the secret ingredient they need to conquer life together:
 
I Miss You, Man!
A strong majority (79%) of men agree they spend less time with their guy friends as they get older—and they’re starting to feel the pain.
 
In fact, the vast majority (92%) of men who agree they spend less time with their friends as they get older say they miss some of the things they used to do together.
 
And while the most popular things guys who spend less time with friends end up missing include telling stories about “the good old days” (52%) and “guy humor” (52%), they’re also missing more serious connections. Nearly half (47%) of men who agree they spend less time with guy friends as they’ve gotten older say they miss talking with people who have experienced the same issues they have and nearly as many (44%) say they miss spending time with someone who really knows them.
 
Guy-to-guy advice is also something men miss, and it’s especially true for men who might need a little relationship help. Among men who agree they spend less time with guy friends as they’ve gotten older, men who are married or in a relationship are more likely (44%) than single guys to say they miss guy-to-guy advice (36%).
 
Friendship First Aid
Men are seeing their friends grow distant and nearly 3 in 5 (57%) men have a friend that needs a guy’s night out intervention.
 
But not all men are letting their friendships slip without a fight. Nearly half (49%) of men say they their group of guy friends has one friend who steps up to organize nights out and get the guys out. Not all heroes wear capes.
 
New Look for Old Spice’s No.1 Premium Scent: Swagger
Old Spice, the manliest grooming brand on the planet, introduces an Old Spice Swagger scent lineup with bright new packaging plus famed Old Spice technologies to deliver the secret ingredients for confident guys.
 
As the scent of confidence, Swagger is contagious—it gives guys the power to make sure that friends never lose their swagger. Swagger is a classic masculine fragrance featuring bright citrus and fresh fruity top notes on a clean base of woods and musks for lasting protection.
 
The Old Spice Swagger scent lineup comes in anti-perspirants, deodorants, invisible spray, body washes and body spray, so guys can keep squads intact, their Swagger up and themselves in the game.
 
The Old Spice Swagger Scent Lineup

• Re-fresh Body Spray: Features patented Re-fresh technology releasing bursts of fragrance when sweat occurs throughout the day, offering guys superior scent performance when they need it most and reducing the need to reapply.
• Swagger Body Wash: Clean away dirt and odor with a great cleansing lather and long-lasting fragrance to transform unfresh men to legends of confidence.
• Anti-perspirant/Deodorant Invisible Solid: Reduces armpit sweat and goes on dry to help you stay feeling dry.
• Anti-perspirant/Deodorant Soft Solid: Offers extra-effective sweat protection and is turbocharged with Old Spice proprietary fragrance technology that traps and locks away odor while releasing scent in its place.
• AP Spray: Goes on invisible and provides 48-hour sweat and odor protection with one quick spray.
• Swagger 2-in-1 Shampoo and Conditioner: Smell shockingly self-assured with this cleansing shampoo and rich conditioner in one bottle.
• Swagger Fiber Wax: Just rub a small amount in your hands and work through damp or dry hair for styling that gives you that international superspy versatile look.

 
The Old Spice Swagger lineup is available nationwide at drugstores, grocery stores and mass merchandisers (Pricing at retailers’ sole discretion).