In 1986, an Australian ad agency came up with a controversial new TV spot for Solo Man, a deodorant for men. The ad featured a man in a business suit sitting in a sauna, with his arms and legs crossed in front of him. The man is sweating profusely, and the camera zooms in on his face to reveal a look of intense concentration. Suddenly, the man uncrosses his legs and stands up, revealing that he is wearing nothing but a pair of white briefs. He begins to spray himself with Solo Man deodorant, and as he does so, the onlookers in the sauna begin to look uncomfortable. The ad ends with the tagline “Solo Man: For men who want to be noticed.”
The ad was immediately criticized for its objectification of men and its suggestion that men should be sweating profusely in order to be attractive to women. However, the ad agency defended the spot, saying that it was meant to be tongue-in-cheek and that the company had no intention of offending anyone.
Despite the criticism, the ad was a huge success, and Solo Man sales increased by 30% in the months after it aired. The ad also won several industry awards, including a Clio Award for Best Television Commercial.
