“Don't sweat the meat sweats.” So say Arby's and Old Spice, which have merged two well-known ad campaigns to pitch roast beef and antiperspirant.
A new ad features the voice of the food chain, Ving Rhames, and Old Spice pitchman Isaiah Mustafa, as part of a larger promotion plugging a limited-edition Meat Sweat Defense Kit. Available today at ArbysShop.com, it includes a roast beef-patterned sweatshirt and sweatpants with a co-branded towel, sweatband and two Old Spice dry sprays.
The spot, which comes from Old Spice agency Wieden+Kennedy and Arby's shop Fallon, is called “Ultimeat Dreams.” It shows Mustafa crashing an Arby’s commercial, interrupting Rhames, in an attempt to spread the word about Old Spice Meat Sweat Defense.
“Get out of this ad,” Rhames tells Mustafa after he scales a half-pound roast beef sandwich.
The spot concludes with nods to both brands: Rhames starting to say his "we have the meats" line for Arby's and Old Spice's signature whistle.
“A collaboration between Old Spice and Arby’s makes all the sense in the world to hilariously solve the age-old problem of the notorious meat sweats that we’ve all faced at some point in our lives,” Matt Krehbiel, Old Spice VP at Procter & Gamble, said in a statement. “Old Spice continues to find unique ways to surprise and delight fans with signature humor and unexpected partnerships that remind them of the importance of long-lasting protection even if they’ve just eaten a Half Pound Roast Beef Sandwich.”
Ads will run on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok and get paid support on social platforms. In preparation for the launch, Mustafa, playing the Old Spice Guy and sporting an Old Spice and Arby’s SUV, this week handed out Sweat Defense dry sprays, Arby’s gift cards and Meat Sweat Defense kits in New York.
"We are big fans of Old Spice’s products and creativity, and it was a no-brainer to have a little fun with them on this program” stated Jim Taylor, Arby’s president.
Old Spice will also be partnering with Marvel, ahead of the “Thor: Love and Thunder” movie premiere on July 7. A teaser starring Thor actor Luke Hemsworth was released on Old Spice’s Instagram story this week, and the first two campaign ads will run starting July 7, according to brand representatives.
In 2017, Arby's launched its first line of Meat Sweats, sweat suits decorated with its signature meats. To distribute the sweats, the brand choose select fans who shared via social media their feats of meat throughout that year, such as conquering the brand’s famous Meat Mountain or smoking a slab of ribs to perfection. Last year, Arby's released a line of meat-scented loungewear to promote its country-style rib sandwich, in partnership with clothing brand Stateline.
