Old Spice, Become More of a Man

Over the years companies have sought to develop quality products for Americans, seeking out business for a lifetime. Deodorant companies are no different and have worked for specific angles to attract customers, hoping to be more than a product, more of a way of life for each individual. Old Spice, more than just a deodorant, represents a rich history of confidence and success that men can be proud to be a part of.

For many years, the symbol of Old Spice has been a ship at sea. While the symbol may vary slightly, it always remains similar, as one of the main pitches was that of masculine men at sea. One commercial portrays a young man following an older and handsomer male with an attractive woman. At the end of the commercial, the announcer says, “Perhaps its one reason women have always impatiently waited for their men to return from the sea”. Another newer add is known for saying that if your father or grandfather had not used Old Spice when younger, you would not exist. By saying this, the company implies that simply by using their product, your life is enriched with women waiting on you and willing to do anything for you. While we know this is not necessarily true, we as consumers are lured into purchasing it in hopes of being successful with the opposite sex.

Current adds produced also play on our subconscious, using high profile sports stars, celebrities, and other well know popular figures of society. Such athletes and celebrities as Tony Stewart, Brian Urlacher, and LL Cool J have all made guess appearances. These are men at the top of their sports or professions and all claim to use Old Spice as their deodorant of choice. When we see these confident, successful men we feel a sense of power and strength and to be the best in our own lives. Simply by using the deodorant we feel more confident and capable to handle the troubles of the day with ease.

With advertising agencies working to delve deep into our subconscious train of thought, it is no wonder we as purchasers find one brand early in life and stick with it for the rest of our lives. With a long lasting company in Old Spice, customers can easily be hooked for life, enticed by the hopes of success, woman, power, and confidence. With one simple product, men everywhere are surer of themselves and carry themselves with dignity and pride.

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Getting through the pages

To those who have taught me over the years, or to those who know the books that I read would be shocked to learn of the struggle I had first learning to read.  When I first started elementary school, like most children, I was not able to read very well. As First grade wore on, more and more kids began to read intorductoy level books such as Dr. Suess and Spot.  However, I found myself struggling to keep up with them and soon felt discouraged by my failures and was disinterested in all books.  Worried for my academic success, my father took strong measures to ensure I would surpass my peers. Everyday I would return home from school just to sit down with him and work on my reading skills. Day after day we worked, and slowly I leanred more words and combinations of words until finally I was able to read my first full book without assistance, Clifford the big Red Dog. With my new found success, I was greatly encourage to continue working.  Soon enough I began reading books for fun, trying to improve while also learning and having fun.  I found that reading articles and magizines publish about animals with accompaning pictures made reading even more enjoyable.  As the years progressed I continued my excess of reading and soon enough was ahead of not only my classmates in abaility, but my entire age group as well.  By the fourth grade I was reading books well ahead of my age, often times three or four years ahead.  I continued this pace until I reached high school upon which I began to actively participate in clubs and athletics. When I would return home at night from school, I would be drained of energy and would only do what was required to pass my classes.  The days of reading extra soon faded away and I began to loose my ability to read on an advanced level. Not until senior year did I begin to work on improving my abilties. Worried for college and my AP Composition class, I once again began to read more intensely.  I mangaged to rise to the top of my english class and received the highest grade on my final AP composition test, thanks to my supreme reading skills.  From my hard work and effort I learned the importance of continually pushing yourself beyond what your ordinarily thought possible and the necessity of staying true to your goals and not backing down.

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Lyndon Richard Novotny

My name is Lyndon Novotny and I run XC and Track for UMBC... GO BIG DAWGS!!! My family is primarily from Pennsylvania, with origins to Germany and France, but I consider myself American. I have a very strong sense of National Pride and believe that no matter what, we as a nation can overcome any obstacle. My family has stayed very close over the years, and is the core to my beliefs. They gave me a great faith base and showed me how to be a caring individual in all facets of my life.