Old Spice Dikembe Mutombo Saves the World

Objective

Old Spice (Champion scent) partnered with Wieden + Kennedy to capitalize on the 2012 Mayan apocalypse cultural moment. The brand created a playable web game to drive engagement with the target audience through gamification and humor, tying the promotion to topical events and cultural commentary.

Solution

Dikembe Mutombo's 4½ Weeks to Save the World was an 8-bit style web game released in weekly chapters over 4.5 weeks. Players guided former NBA star Dikembe Mutombo (who voiced himself) and his sidekick Science the Bear through surreal missions themed around cultural threats: stopping a Gangnam-style dance craze, battling vampire movie trends, defending against alien invasions, and commentary on current events. The game featured retro aesthetics inspired by Battletoads and Gradius, with distinctive mechanics like using an Old Spice deodorant can as a jetpack. Developed by Adam Saltsman (Canabalt creator), the game was hosted at OldSpiceSavesTheWorld.com and promoted the brand's Champion scent.

Results

Not published.