Lady in Red

How A Long-Overdue Package Update Landed Brawny On Ellen’s Show. 

- Robert Klara

Barrel-chested hunks have long been the workhorses of the branding realm. Some—Mr. Clean, the Marlboro Man— were born on the drawing boards of post war Madison Avenue. But as recently as 2010, with “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like,” Old Spice proved that pecs and biceps never quite go out of fashion.

That is, until they do. Heads turned in March when the Brawny paper towel brand sent its resident hunk packing for the first time in 43 years—and put a woman on the wrapper.

Then, in a fillip worthy of marketing textbooks, Brawny one-upped itself by putting Ellen DeGeneres there—and getting the pack of paper towels on her TV show.