Two musclemen are duking it out on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. Their weapons? Witty repartee. The prize? Bragging rights as the ultimate Old Spice Guy.
Fabio, the longlocked former romance-novel cover model, is challenging football player-turned-comedian Isaiah Mustafa, the original star of the deodorant brand’s YouTube campaign.
Mustafa delighted the YouTube masses last year recording personalized greetings in the style of his TV commercials to anyone who tweeted at him. Now he and Fabio are both taking requests, turning an ordinary ad campaign into a social-media battle.
On YouTube, Fabio’s Old Spice Guy challenge video made the site’s front page yesterday and is the fifth most viewed video today.
Reactions on YouTube are mixed. Some really love Fabio. Others are less respectful.
“Fabio is the best! I’m glad they are dumping the old guy!!!” wrote creetch44.
rameriz92, on the other hand, said, “Fabio will never be able to beat him he is so old and his strength is decreasing by the second.”
Representing the ladies in a response video to Fabio’s challenge, thereplygirlsreviews said she “doesn’t like the new guy” and wondered “if this is a marketing strategy” meant to bring the old Old Spice guy back, because clearly Mustafa’s going to win.
But Fabio has some celebrity backing himself.
“I truly appreciate Fabio’s work ethic,” tweeted Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine.