BYU grad becomes commercial success promoting what a man smells like

SALT LAKE CITY — He wasn't this popular during a short stint in the NFL, but thanks to the creative minds behind the Old Spice commercial, "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like," Isaiah Mustafa was ranked the sixth sexiest man in Hollywood, according to a recent Fox News poll.

His commercial has spawned several spoofs, including one at BYU that has garnered attention not only on campus but on YouTube, where it has had more than 2 million views.

Ironically, the creator of the Old Spice phenomenon is a BYU graduate.

That's right. As No. 3 in the lineup of eight kids, ad man Jason Bagley says his father was more worried about him achieving success than any other of his siblings. After all, he didn't graduate from BYU until he was 27 years old, with a major in advertising and a minor in English.

His father now uses Bagley as an example as he counsels individuals in his various management positions in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that there is always hope.

"My dad has been in church leadership a lot," says Bagley, "and whenever he talks to someone who is worried about their child and if they are going anywhere in life he always tells them about me and that I was the one he was most worried about or being able to figure out what to do with himself."

Once Bagley figured it out, his career went zoom — his most recent smashing success being the aforementioned Old Spice commercial.

"Old Spice wanted to make a push to promote their body wash," he said. "We came up with a strategy that would talk to women as well."

Although technical specifications for the 30-second commercials were difficult, Bagley said very few composite shots were used, and timing had to be perfect.

"If any one thing went wrong we would have to start all over again," he said, adding that it took three full days to achieve a usable take. The first Mustafa spot won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Advertising Festival, which Bagley says is "the highest award they give."

The sensational idea has taken top honors in every contest it has participated, even been nominated for an Emmy, causing Bagley to look back on how he had arrived at this point.

Some thought Bagley had hung around Cougar Land so long that he surely had a master's degree. "My masters was in undergraduate work," he quipped.