2 million students drop out of high school in the U.S. annually. Many Americans are unaware of the impact dropout rates have on our society, and unsure of the change they can impact. As a brand young people trust to build confidence in their complicated teenage years, Old Spice was positioned to help close the high school completion gap by challenging shoppers to act. “School of Swagger” set out to position the brand as a champion for young men’s success and engaged shoppers to do their part by connecting commerce and community.

This program had the potential to not only impact at-risk high school students but also create a unique opportunity to engage shoppers at the world’s largest retailer, Walmart, for an activation-driven campaign engaging consumers at influential points of decision-making. We needed to build brand equity, deliver sales, and support a cause the retailer would get behind.

To serve the young men whose lives we were aiming to change forever, we would need to not only engage shoppers’ eyes for attention but also capture their hearts with a holistic campaign across commerce-centric channels. The situation was at a critical point—post-pandemic, more young men were dropping out of high school and suffering from depression. They needed a boost in confidence and motivation to reach their goals, and we knew the perfect partner for the School of Swagger was Big Brothers, Big Sisters, a US nonprofit organization that matches adult volunteers with at-risk youth.

The School of Swagger rallied Old Spice and Walmart shoppers to act by becoming BBBS mentors, and by doing good just by purchasing Old Spice products—with every product purchased, the brand made a $1 donation to the nonprofit organization, helping them deliver on their vision that all youth achieve their full potential.

The Old Spice brand is known for its “tongue in cheek” humor but is rooted in a serious commitment to building consumer confidence. We sought to identify audiences equally interested in making a positive impact on the trajectory of others’ lives. Leveraging behavioral insight platforms, we aligned on two shopper target audiences:

1) Moms purchasing deodorant for their children who they could see as the young men whose lives we aimed to impact.

2) Men who purchased Old Spice and volunteer.

We explored points of influence and found the best place to connect with Moms was in-store/eCommerce and on her favorite social channels. Meanwhile, intercepting the men on mobile with pointed brand equity messaging was critical. We also leveraged a partnership with U.S. sports-centric media outlet ESPN to drive awareness at a broader level.

With this in mind, we went to work creating a 360-degree program to engage shoppers

Between August of 2021 and August of 2022, the Old Spice School of Swagger engaged shoppers on their path to purchase and in their communities for a truly connected omnichannel experience.

Starting where most of today’s shoppers do, on retailer’s websites, we build a Walmart Brand Page to serve as a campaign hub and promoted it via digital media. Walmart.com eContent provided program details, promoting the $1 donation purchase incentive to convert at the point of purchase, and encouraging mentor signups and engagement. At the same time, in-store activation reached shoppers along their journey via attention-grabbing endcap displays, TV-wall advertising, and radio segments that engaged shoppers from all possible connection points within Walmart. As the largest retailer in the world, a program like this activated at Walmart has the potential to reach more than 240 million shoppers in stores on a weekly basis, and upwards or 300 million .com visitors.

School of Swagger disrupted shoppers from all angles. The entire program was co-created with the retailer and thrived due to the joint brand voice of Old Spice and Walmart. The brand’s goal was a lofty one—in addition to accelerating sales, it set out to change the trajectory of people's lives.

Not only did this campaign convert shoppers to Old Spice products, but it also persuaded them to become a part of something bigger—something that could positively change young students’ lives. With unprecedented retailer support from the largest retailer in the world, Old Spice School of Swagger created a meaningful movement and made a real difference in shoppers' carts and communities.

The Old Spice School of Swagger program delivered:

• +6-8% sales lift

• 750MM+ impressions

• 90 new mentors in 1 year (setting a new partner record)

• 80 mentee graduates

• 600+ summer campers