Charles Bronson For MANDOM
If one were to suggest a spokesman for a rugged, tough men’s cosmetic, Charles Bronson is a good choice. Despite the man’s questionable choice in hirsute facial adornment, he exudes manliness. His eyes have an ever purposeful gaze, his face is craggy and weather worn, and his walk is the walk of a man who rides a horse on a regular basis, forsaking it only in very extreme circumstances, in which case he takes his car, which he also rides like a horse.
Yes, Charles Bronson is a man’s man, and the makers of MANDOM knew this when they crafted a series of commercials — mostly in Japanese — with him as their focus. Here they show Bronson at his very manly best, doing manly things like tossing his cowboy hat onto a set of mounted steer horns, spinning around in his desk chair, and giggling on the phone like a manly schoolgirl. MANDOM knows exactly what the users of MANDOM want; and they deliver with possibly more Bronson than is safely recommended.
For more manly MANDOM action hit the jump.
February 4th, 2010 at 1:02 pm
I love the wrought iron naked man gate in the beginning of the first video. Whenever I become a homeowner it will be mine!
February 4th, 2010 at 2:57 pm
My God, what is that smell?
That’s the smell of desire, my lady.
God no, it smells like, like a used diaper… filled with… Indian food.
You know, desire smells like that to some people
What is that? Smells like a turd covered in burnt hair.
Smells like Bigfoot’s DIIIICK.
February 7th, 2010 at 11:34 pm
Ah, yes. These commercials (and this post) recall a line omitted from an early draft of our Letter to the Editors for Issue 03. Second paragraph, first line: “Smell that spicy goat musk?” This line was penned by Mer. (Of course. OF COURSE.)
You know, while I think that images of women in advertising have become marginally more progressive since these ads were shot (in the 70s?), the construction of masculinity in advertising messages has only gotten more ridiculous. Ad agencies figure that the average male consumer feels so threatened by today’s scary world, so full of metrosexuals and career women, that today’s ads have to work overtime to make them feel safe, affirmed, secure. The best example of that from 2009 is this nauseating Dockers campaign:
There’s some great analysis of this over at SocImages (God, I love that blog!)
February 11th, 2010 at 9:10 am
That Dockers ad is pretty “wow there are no words for this ad it speaks for itself”-ish. The sad part is that the world this ad constructs as threatening really does not exist. But hey, nothing like reinforcing people’s fears and ignorance to get a quick buck right?
A better ad would be: “Remember when men like Charles Bronson need only sneer at a femme to impregnate her? Yea, wearing our pants will make you that sort of man.” And then in small writing: “Lawsuit and crotch kicking protection is not built in so PLEASE wear pants responsibly.”
September 13th, 2010 at 12:35 pm
I am Japanese. It is 61 years old. English is not understood. I’m sorry. Is [commercial 1] the first commercial?