Old Spice Wraps Up Wild Week With Mr. Wolfdog

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After just a week on the job, fictional Old Spice Marketing Director Mr. Wolfdog has been forced out.

Nevertheless, the weeklong promotional initiative spurred tons of online content, including: a series of 20 YouTube videos; rebranded Twitter and Facebook pages; the new Twitter handle @DirectorWolfDog, which gained 7,700 followers in less than a week; a digital music album; and a Tumblr with 31 posts, including banner ads and a giant chart on worldsbiggestchart.com.

In a March 11 press release, Old Spice parent Procter & Gamble said Mr. Wolfdog was hired to oversee marketing and communications for the Old Spice Wild Collection, which includes the scents Wolfthorn, Hawkridge, and Foxcrest and debuted in February. P&G says these scents "[represent] the dangerous side of masculinity and [help] guys answer the smell of the wild."

According to P&G, Mr. Wolfdog's previous experience includes Alpha Male of the Deciduous Forest Pack #13588 in Woods, Mont. and author of the best-selling self-help book, "Is It Wolfdog In Here, Or Is It Just Me?"

However, it wasn't meant to be.

On Friday, Mr. Wolfdog tweeted from @OldSpice, "Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh no. Something bad has happened," and then, "If you're reading this automated tweet and soon watching this video, something bad has happened to me, Mr. Wolfdog."

The video is a "Critical Message" in which Mr. Wolfdog says a SWAT team is coming, alluding to a stepped-on tail and subsequent fire.

"We are sorry to lose Mr. Wolfdog, but he's back in his natural habitat in a wonderful tree. We look forward to marketing to you again soon," @OldSpice tweeted shortly thereafter to its 219,000 followers.

However, during his weeklong tenure, Mr. Wolfdog achieved some noteworthy successes. For one, his introductory video on YouTube racked up 1.2 million views.

Mr. Wolfdog videos on YouTube also include a series of how-tos, such as operating computers and valuing employees. In just a week, 20 Mr. Wolfdog videos were created.

The videos also appear on Facebook, where Old Spice has 2.4 million likes and a cover photo featuring a half-man/half-wolf figure with a Wild Collection product.

Mr. Wolfdog also used Google+ Hangout to conduct live interviews for a personal assistant on March 12. The search began with a video asking interested candidates to follow @OldSpice and tweet with the hashtag #workforwolfdog. It generated about 300 tweets.

The search culminated with five finalists in a Hangout in which Mr. Wolfdog gave participants commands like eat a sandwich, get a hat, and find a vegetable in your house.

Overall, an Old Spice rep says the Wolfdog digital campaign generated more than 4 million views on YouTube, nearly 600,000 page views of Old Spice.com and MrWolfdog.com, and more than 30,000 new social fans, followers, and subscribers on Old Spice's social channels.

"Director Wolfdog brings a unique blend of professional, real-world experience and wild attributes that lend themselves perfectly to the fast-paced, innovative world of Old Spice," said Global Brand Building Officer Marc Pritchard in a prepared statement earlier in the week. "We look forward to tapping his unparalleled animal instincts to further enhance the launch of new Old Spice Wild Collection. We continuously strive to hire the most dynamic talent on earth, and given Director Wolfdog's fierce track record, he is sure to be a force to be reckoned with at P&G."