Let’s start at the beginning. As in Old Spice’s beginning.
Available in stores since 1938, Old Spice after shave had long been associated with the past. And also long associated with, shall we say, older gentlemen. Think back to the time you first smelled it: an older dude was sporting the fragrance, correct? I can remember catching whiff of the original fragrance in the early 70s when my dad would splash some on after finishing up with his morning shave.
But as most of us know, Old Spice reinvented itself in recent years, basically saving the brand. It all seemed to change around 2008, when Old Spice and Wieden + Kennedy kicked off a new campaign, Old Spice Swagger body wash. The Swagger completely transformed the face of the Old Spice brand, as well as its customers.
Old Spice, my friends, swaggerized itself.
Though I’m still an Irish Spring bar of soap guy, I also pick up a bottle of Old Spice Swagger body wash and put it to use. Unless I’m rushed for time in the morning shower, after rinsing off the lather from that Irish Spring bar of soap I follow it up with Old Spice body wash as a finishing product. Kind of like buffing off the Turtle Wax on your car.
I apply this topical layer of body wash while shampoo or conditioner sits in my hair. Killing two birds with one stone. Multitasking. Showering smarter not harder. By now you might be thinking I’ve put too much thought into the whole showering process. You might be right.
But let’s get back to the scent itself. After the Swagger fragrance had become such a hit for Old Spice, the marketing guys and gals at the company came up with other offshoot scents, but most of those names I can’t specifically recall. Occasionally I’d try one of the newer fragrances, think nah, then go back to Swagger.
Give me the swag.
Or at least that’s how I felt until recently. Somebody start a drum roll please, because this is the part of the column you’re going to want to clip and save. Put the clipping in your wallet. Read it again before you do your shopping for personal grooming. Send it off in a letter to yourself. Tattoo it on your arm.
Here we go:
There’s a new Old Spice body wash fragrance out now. I saw it on the shelf at a local Walgreens recently. Yes, I do my toiletry shopping at Walgreens because I’m loaded and enjoy paying double what I could pay somewhere else for body wash, deodorant, shampoo and such.
Not really. I do my shopping for those kinds of items at Walgreens because there’s a Walgreens conveniently located along my drive to work. It ain’t cheap but it is convenient.
But I digress.
The new Old Spice body wash fragrance I’m referring to is known as Captain Scent of Command. At the risk of overstating things, this is a life changer, you guys. I’m not familiar with slumps but if some of you are slumping this could be a slump buster. It’s that good.
Recently I wanted to give a new body wash a try. That’s when I saw Captain Scent of Command and grabbed a bottle. Loved it. Soon went back to Walgreens and grabbed two more. When I was down to only one extra bottle, I walked to the Old Spice rack at Walgreens wanting to pick up another Captain Scent of Command. Guess what? None left. I hope Walgreens will be restocking it soon or I’ll have to find a new place to pay through the nose for toiletries.
I’m not surprised it has become hard to find. Captain Scent of Command smells like the bold determination it takes to stare down the open ocean and laugh. Captain Scent of Command will allow you to save small animals using only your man scent. Captain Scent of Command gives heart to the weak while striking fear in your enemies. Captain Scent of Command is so easy to use you might accidentally wash with it and only later realize your man-nificence. It is both timely and timeless. It is a force to be reckoned with. It will leave you scented from head to toe in glory. You’ll like it so much you’ll change your ring tone to the Old Spice theme.
Give it a try. Thank me later.
You’re welcome, America.
Here’s another public service announcement: Don’t look now but it will soon be flu season.
The drive-through flu shot clinics are coming soon, courtesy of the Platte County Health Department. I hit the one in Platte City last year and was impressed with how easy, quick and painless this was. What a convenient service.
See an ad on page A-10 for specific details but I can tell you the drive through flu shots are available in Riverside on Thursday, Oct. 10 and in Platte City on Monday, Oct. 14.
If needed, the group known as Citizens for a Better Parkville is gearing up to conduct a petition drive to force a state audit of the City of Parkville. And with all the funny stuff surrounding transparency and other issues in recent months, who can blame them?
I say “if needed” because the group has let it be known it would rather the city request the state audit on its own. You may recall the often angry Mayor Nan Johnston several months ago publicly said she would welcome a state audit. Now’s her chance to do so.
If not, Citizens for a Better Parkville has indicated it would pursue a petition drive beginning around early November.
A Facebook page known as ParkvilleAudit has been formed. A posting on the page on Monday of this week said “the initial paperwork to request a petition audit was filed this morning with the Office of the Missouri State Auditor.”
We’ll do our best to keep you posted as developments warrant.
(The Scent of Between the Lines can be found on Twitter @ivanfoley and on Facebook. Email Ivan Foley at ivan@plattecountylandmark.com)