I was having a discussion with a friend who is a creative at a large ad agency about the latest Old Spice campaign (http://twitter.com/oldspice) and (http://www.youtube.com/oldspice). I haven’t come across anyone who didn’t find the original ad which aired during the Super Bowl (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owGykVbfgUE) hilarious, but then there was a second television spot, print ads and a social networking campaign with short video responses made from questions posted on twitter and youtube. My friend, like many, enjoys these commercials and thinks it is great for Old Spice branding, whereas I feel they should quit while they’re ahead so as to maintain the integrity of a great campaign and brand image. 

From a corporate standpoint, it seems like a no-brainer to push a funny campaign until it’s writhing in pain on the ground. If people are still laughing then keep your foot on the accelerator and keep climbing that mountain. The problem is that while consumers can be hooked in seconds with a clever line, they can be turned off twice as fast by a bad one. Just as a good spokesperson can create very positive brand associations, a bad spokesperson can create lasting negative feelings and as we all know from personal relationships in life it’s far easier to forget the good things people do than the bad; it’s in our nature to hold grudges and make people earn our respect.

So we’ve reached the top. Everyone loves the brand, the ideas are fresh and people are on the edge of their seat waiting for more. However, as any funny idea reaches its peak of popularity, eventually the writers run out of steam, the light burns out and the joke dies. This is the worst thing that can happen because on the other side of that great mountain of creativity is a steep cliff with an angry mob of cynical, disengaged consumers waiting at the bottom. In one 30 second clip, all of the good you accomplished is washed away and the very thought of your brand tarnished. As the target consumer for this particular product, an easily influenced man with no brand-loyalty when it comes to body wash, I would honestly say that I would buy Old Spice based purely on this campaign to date. Conversely with my expectations so high, if they ruin it by making a bad commercial, I will be left feeling annoyed and turned off.

Two guilty brands that specifically come to mind in recent years are Flo from the Progressive Insurance commercials and the Verizon “Can you hear me now?” guy. From nobodies to celebrities, these two spokespeople came into our living rooms, were plastered on billboards, printed on merchandise and even imitated by teenagers on halloween. Both campaigns were successful, ran through many iterations and humorous ideas and eventually became very annoying. So annoying in fact that I would be hard pressed to patronize either of these brands for any service based solely on the negative brand associations they created in my mind. Now I am a more uptight consumer than most (I mean come on, my blog is me ranting about nothing), but everyone has a breaking point. Maybe you don’t get annoyed by the 4th or 5th knock-knock joke, but no one is asking for more come #20 and when you finally do break and you can’t take it anymore, the very thought of another makes you want to scream.

So where is that sweet spot? Where do you end it to go out on a high note? Who knows if that next commercial will be the one where you lose the customer? As with anything in life (Sports, Politics, Hollywood), with great success comes even more scrutiny and haters. The biggest challenge of standing above the crowd is maintaining a likable, marketable image while at the same time being aware that you have an expiration date. It’s never pretty watching someone or something go down in flames when they refuse to exit the stage, so when is the right time to quit when you strike oil? 

Still disagree with me and think there is no harm with milking the same success until it runs dry? Ask any out-of-work CEO, athlete or celebrity who was once on top. In any industry creating a brand is easy and success comes cheap, sustainability is the hard part.