The short answer: The “new guy” in the Old Spice commercials is Keith Powers — a Sacramento-born actor and model who joined the brand in 2020 as the son of Isaiah Mustafa’s long-running “Old Spice Guy” character. Mustafa hasn’t been replaced. He’s still the face of the brand. Powers was added alongside him.
The Two Old Spice Guys: Who’s Who
If you’ve seen a recent Old Spice ad and wondered whether the man on screen is the same person you remember, or someone new, the confusion is understandable. There are now two of them.
Isaiah Mustafa is the original. He launched the iconic “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” campaign in February 2010 and has been the face of Old Spice ever since — appearing in new spots as recently as 2025, including Instacart’s Super Bowl LIX ad. [1]
Keith Powers joined in January 2020, cast as Mustafa’s son in two 30-second commercials called Time Out and Office Visit, created by Wieden+Kennedy Portland — the same agency behind the original 2010 campaign. [2] In Time Out, Mustafa’s character barges onto his son’s basketball court on ice skates to push legacy Old Spice scents. In Office Visit, he log-rolls out of an elevator into a business meeting. In both, Powers’ character calmly holds his ground and prefers the newer Ultra Smooth range. The contrast is the joke — and the point.
The campaign was called “Smell Like Your Own Man, Man”, launched to mark the 10th anniversary of the original ad and promote Old Spice’s Ultra Smooth product line. [3]
Who Is Keith Powers?
Keith Tyree Powers was born on 22 August 1992 in Sacramento, California. [4] Before acting, he was a competitive high school footballer, then moved into modelling after graduation, signing with the Wilhelmina Agency and appearing in fashion editorials and campaigns for brands including Calvin Klein. [5]
His acting career began with a lead role in House Party: Tonight’s the Night (2013), followed by a recurring part in the MTV series Faking It. His breakout came with Straight Outta Compton (2015), where he played Tyree. In 2017, he starred as Ronnie DeVoe in BET’s miniseries The New Edition Story. [4]
More recently, he appeared in The Tomorrow War (2021), The Perfect Find (2023) — for which he won an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor — and Netflix’s Uglies (2024), where he co-starred as David. [5]
In October 2025, Powers announced his engagement to singer and actress Ryan Destiny. [6]
In the Old Spice campaign, Powers was chosen to represent the newer generation of Old Spice consumer: someone who wants high performance without the theatrical, over-the-top scent profile of the classic range. His relaxed, low-key energy was a deliberate contrast to Mustafa’s operatic delivery — and that contrast was the campaign’s entire creative engine. [3]
Who Is Isaiah Mustafa?
Isaiah Amir Mustafa was born on 11 February 1974 in Portland, Oregon. [7] Before Old Spice, he was a wide receiver on NFL practice squads — including stints with the Seattle Seahawks, Tennessee Titans, and Jacksonville Jaguars — without making a regular-season appearance.
He landed the Old Spice role in 2010. The original ad — filmed in a single continuous take with minimal CGI — became one of the most-watched commercials in internet history. It won the Grand Prix at Cannes and a Primetime Emmy Award. [8]
His acting career has since expanded: he played Luke Garroway in Freeform’s Shadowhunters, appeared as adult Mike Hanlon in It Chapter Two (2019), and starred in the Prime Video crime series Cross alongside Jamie Foxx. [7]
At Old Spice, he has never been replaced — only joined. As of 2025, he is still actively appearing in campaigns, 15 years after the original ad aired. [1]
Why Did Old Spice Add a Second Actor?
The “Smell Like Your Own Man, Man” campaign was a strategic evolution, not a reset. Old Spice wanted to introduce the Ultra Smooth range — a milder-scented product aimed at younger buyers. Rather than a standard product ad, the brand built a narrative around generational contrast.
Mustafa represents legacy Old Spice: loud, confident, dramatically scented. Powers represents the updated version: quieter, smoother, less theatrical. By casting them as father and son, the campaign holds both audiences without abandoning either. [3]
Old Spice has always used multiple faces. Terry Crews fronted a separate campaign alongside Mustafa in 2015, with a completely different energy — explosive and physical where Mustafa was cool and controlled. [8] The Mustafa/Powers pairing followed the same playbook.
Old Spice Commercial Cast: Quick Reference
| Who | Role | Known For |
|---|---|---|
| Isaiah Mustafa | The original “Old Spice Guy” | “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” (2010) |
| Keith Powers | The son / newer generation | Straight Outta Compton, The New Edition Story, Uglies |
| Terry Crews | Separate campaign character | High-energy counterpart to Mustafa (2015) |
The Ads Themselves
The two original Mustafa/Powers spots are:
- “Time Out” — Mustafa arrives on ice skates at Powers’ basketball game to push After Hours Red Zone Deodorant. Powers politely declines in favour of Ultra Smooth. [2]
- “Office Visit” — Mustafa log-rolls out of an elevator into his son’s office meeting. The building floods. A dolphin appears. Powers remains composed. [9]
Both were directed by Matias & Mathias, produced by Epoch Films, with Wieden+Kennedy Portland handling creative. [3]
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the new guy in the Old Spice commercial? Keith Powers. He joined the Old Spice campaign in January 2020, cast as the son of Isaiah Mustafa’s “Old Spice Guy” character.
Is Isaiah Mustafa still in Old Spice commercials? Yes. As of 2025, Mustafa is still actively appearing in Old Spice-related campaigns — 15 years after the original ad aired. He has not been replaced. [1]
When did Keith Powers join Old Spice? January 2020, for the “Smell Like Your Own Man, Man” campaign promoting the Ultra Smooth range. [3]
What films has Keith Powers been in? His best-known roles include Tyree in Straight Outta Compton (2015), Ronnie DeVoe in BET’s The New Edition Story (2017), and David in Netflix’s Uglies (2024). He won an NAACP Image Award for The Perfect Find (2023). [4] [5]
What are the names of the Old Spice ads with Keith Powers? The two spots in the original campaign are Time Out and Office Visit, both created by Wieden+Kennedy Portland. [2] [9]
Did Old Spice replace Isaiah Mustafa? No. Powers was added alongside Mustafa, not instead of him. The generational contrast between the two characters is central to the campaign’s concept. [3]
Sources
- Screen Rant — Isaiah Mustafa interview on returning as Old Spice Guy for Instacart’s Super Bowl LIX ad (February 2025): https://screenrant.com/super-bowl-instacart-old-spice-commercial-isaiah-mustafa-interview/
- iSpot.tv — Old Spice “Time Out” ad listing, featuring Isaiah Mustafa and Keith Powers: https://www.ispot.tv/ad/Zz21/old-spice-time-out-featuring-isaiah-mustafa-keith-powers
- Campaign US — “Old Spice Guy returns with next-gen son in 10th anniversary campaign” (January 2020): https://www.campaignlive.com/article/old-spice-guy-returns-next-gen-son-10th-anniversary-campaign/1671519
- Wikipedia — Keith Powers: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keith_Powers
- IMDb — Keith Powers biography: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5469428/bio/
- IMDb — Keith Powers biography (engagement announcement, October 2025): https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5469428/bio/
- Wikipedia — Isaiah Mustafa: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaiah_Mustafa
- Wikipedia — The Man Your Man Could Smell Like campaign: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Man_Your_Man_Could_Smell_Like
- iSpot.tv — Old Spice “Office Visit” ad listing, featuring Isaiah Mustafa and Keith Powers: https://www.ispot.tv/ad/ZznH/old-spice-office-visit
Last reviewed: April 2026
About the Author
Will Corry is the founder of TheMarketingBlog.co.uk, which he established in 2001. With over two decades covering the marketing, advertising, and brand communications industries, Will has tracked the evolution of TV advertising from the pre-digital era through to today’s multi-platform campaigns. His work on TheMarketingBlog has covered major ad campaigns, brand strategy, and the people behind them — including the creative decisions that turn a 30-second commercial into a cultural moment. He writes about advertising with the perspective of someone who has watched the industry change from the inside, and brings that context to questions like who’s in the ads, why brands make the casting decisions they do, and what those choices say about where a brand is heading.
