Who Is the Man in the Old Spice UK Advert 2026? Joe Marler Revealed

By Gavan Corry | The Marketing Blog

Last reviewed: 10 November 2026

The man in the new Old Spice UK advert is Joe Marler, the former England rugby player and star of The Celebrity Traitors. Old Spice unveiled Marler as its new British Old Spice Captain on 16 October 2026, giving one of Britain’s most outspoken sporting personalities a role previously associated with American actor Isaiah Mustafa.

Marler appears wearing a bright red ship’s captain uniform, complete with a matching hat, tie and remarkably short shorts. His beard, muscular build and exaggerated facial expressions make him difficult to mistake for the polished American spokesman who helped make Old Spice an advertising phenomenon in 2010.

The appointment also marks another stage in Old Spice’s British marketing activity, following its Soccer Aid sponsorship and a separate series of football and festival commercials earlier in 2026.

What Happens in the Joe Marler Old Spice Advert?

Joe Marler plays a deliberately exaggerated nautical character in Old Spice’s new British advertising. The October 2026 campaign photographs show him wearing a bright red ship’s captain jacket, hat and tie, while other images feature him in red sports clothing, flexing his arms and raising his eyebrows at the camera.

The costume makes use of Old Spice’s longstanding maritime identity, but the performance is built around a different kind of masculinity from the brand’s earlier advertising.

Marler is not being presented as a flawless fragrance model. Instead, the former international rugby forward is encouraged to look ridiculous.

Speaking to the Press Association about following Isaiah Mustafa, Marler joked:

“Who doesn’t remember the smooth, suave, handsome Old Spice man?”

His follow-up was considerably shorter: “And now – it’s me.”

That comparison is an important part of the campaign’s appeal. Marler recognises the difference between himself and the original character, and Old Spice uses that contrast rather than attempting to conceal it.

The launch report confirms that Marler filmed commercials for the brand. However, a complete scene-by-scene account of a specific film, its soundtrack and its production credits has not been established from the available sources.

Who Is Joe Marler, the New Old Spice Captain?

Joe Marler is a retired England rugby union player who spent his entire senior professional career with Harlequins. Born in Eastbourne on 7 July 1990, he became one of England’s best-known forwards, earning 95 international caps before retiring from professional rugby in November 2024.

Marler played as a loosehead prop and represented England at three Rugby World Cups.

He was part of the squad that reached the 2019 final in Japan and won three Six Nations titles, in 2016, 2017 and 2020.

At club level, he helped Harlequins win two Premiership championships and the European Challenge Cup.

He also toured New Zealand with the British and Irish Lions in 2017.

However, his public reputation has never depended solely on sporting achievements.

Marler became famous for his unusual hairstyles, outspoken interviews and willingness to say things that other professional sportsmen might avoid.

That personality has helped him build a second career in entertainment.

Was Joe Marler in The Celebrity Traitors?

Yes. Marler appeared in the BBC’s first celebrity edition of The Traitors in autumn 2025.

His interactions with comedians Joe Wilkinson and Nick Mohammed became a memorable part of the series, introducing him to viewers who had never watched a rugby match.

Marler has also appeared on Michael McIntyre’s The Wheel and Blankety Blank.

Which other adverts has Joe Marler appeared in?

Marler became a Jacamo brand ambassador in April 2026, appearing in campaigns for the menswear retailer.

In September, he joined former boxer Tony Bellew in Jacamo’s autumn and winter campaign, Jacamo vs Nature.

These appearances demonstrate how Marler’s appeal has moved beyond rugby.

For advertisers, he offers the recognition of an international sportsman without the carefully managed image sometimes associated with celebrity endorsements.

Old Spice goes a stage further by turning that personality into a fictional character.

Why Has Old Spice Chosen Joe Marler?

Old Spice has chosen a recognisable British sporting personality whose public image contrasts with that of Isaiah Mustafa, its original modern advertising star. Although the company has not published a detailed explanation of its casting decision, the creative direction is consistent with the brand’s history of using exaggerated male characters.

The difference becomes clearer when looking at how Old Spice has portrayed men over the decades.

During the 1970s, British viewers associated Old Spice with crashing waves, dramatic music and the idea of traditional masculine confidence.

The famous advertising featured a surfer riding through the waves, accompanied by the brand’s The Mark of a Man positioning.

In 2010, Old Spice took a different approach.

Its The Man Your Man Could Smell Like commercial introduced Isaiah Mustafa as a perfectly groomed spokesman who remained effortlessly confident while everything around him became increasingly absurd.

The campaign was created by Wieden+Kennedy Portland and became an international success.

Now Marler offers another interpretation of the same advertising territory.

He has the physical presence of a professional athlete, but he is also willing to become the punchline.

Rather than presenting masculinity as something men must achieve, the advertising invites audiences to laugh at the conventions surrounding it.

That is a more interesting creative decision than simply replacing one handsome actor with another.

How Does Joe Marler Fit Into Old Spice’s 2026 UK Marketing Campaign?

Old Spice increased its British marketing activity during 2026 through sport, short-form comedy and celebrity advertising. Its May partnership with Soccer Aid for UNICEF was followed by the July Smell Goes a Long Way films and the introduction of Joe Marler as the Old Spice Captain in October.

Old Spice’s Soccer Aid sponsorship

Old Spice became an official partner of Soccer Aid for UNICEF ahead of the charity football match at London Stadium on 31 May 2026.

The partnership supported its Sport Power antiperspirant range and included fan activities, product trials and digital content.

Marler was among the celebrities taking part in the event.

That connection is interesting because it placed the brand in the same sporting and entertainment environment occupied by its future spokesman.

However, there is no public confirmation that the Soccer Aid partnership directly led to Marler’s appointment.

The July Old Spice football and festival adverts

Before the Marler announcement, Old Spice released Smell Goes a Long Way, a British campaign created by RCP.

The two films used familiar situations to demonstrate how smelling good could turn an embarrassing moment into an unexpected success.

In Smell Like It Went In, a footballer misses a penalty, but his fresh scent leads to an absurdly favourable outcome.

In Smell Like You Found the Right Tent, a festival-goer cannot find his tent but ends up meeting a welcoming new group.

Both films were directed by Jeffrey Max of Fatal Farm and produced by Agile Films.

Those credits belong to the July campaign, not the later Joe Marler advertising.

The distinction matters for viewers trying to identify an actor from a particular Old Spice commercial.

What Was the #NewOldSpiceMan Competition?

Old Spice’s October 2026 promotion invited members of the public to demonstrate why they deserved to become an Old Spice Man or join Joe Marler’s crew. Entrants were asked to post an original social media video using the hashtag #NewOldSpiceMan, follow @oldspiceuk and tag two friends.

The competition offered three prize packages.

Each winner was entitled to:

• £3,000 in cash.
• A monthly delivery of Old Spice products for one year.
• An opportunity to meet Joe Marler.
• A £200 travel voucher towards attending the meeting.

The promotion was open to eligible UK residents aged 18 and over, with entries closing at midnight on 9 November 2026.

One detail in the official terms provides an insight into the campaign’s marketing strategy.

Entrants retained ownership of their submitted content but granted Procter & Gamble a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to use it on its social media channels for 12 months after the competition ended.

That gave the company permission to share selected consumer-created videos, subject to the competition terms.

The approach also allowed participants to become part of the advertising idea, rather than simply watching Marler perform it.

For Old Spice, the potential benefit was content that could extend the character’s presence across social platforms without requiring every appearance to come from a traditional commercial production.

Has Joe Marler Replaced the Original Old Spice Man?

Joe Marler became the British counterpart of Isaiah Mustafa in October 2026, but Old Spice did not announce that Mustafa was retiring from every international campaign. The American actor remains closely associated with the 2010 commercial that famously ended with him sitting on a horse.

Several actors have appeared in different Old Spice campaigns over the years.

Terry Crews became another famous Old Spice performer through commercials featuring shouting, exaggerated physical movements and surreal effects.

Keith Powers joined Mustafa in 2020 for Smell Like Your Own Man, Man.

The storyline used a father-and-son disagreement over grooming products to introduce a younger generation to the brand.

Our separate article explains who the new guy in the Old Spice commercial is and why Keith Powers joined the campaign.

You can also read our broader guide to the actors in Old Spice commercials.

Who Created the New Joe Marler Old Spice Advert?

The Joe Marler Old Spice campaign was announced on 16 October 2026, with publicity photographs credited to NUSA Studios/PA. Procter & Gamble owns the brand, but the creative agency, production company and director responsible for the October commercial have not been publicly confirmed in the launch material reviewed.

This is different from the July Smell Goes a Long Way campaign, where the agency and film production credits are publicly available.

Likewise, the photographic credit accompanying Marler’s launch announcement should not be mistaken for a television production credit.

A confirmed music credit and official filming location for the Marler commercial were also not available from the verified material.

The Marketing Blog’s Analysis: Why This Casting Is Worth Watching

Old Spice’s choice of Joe Marler is more than another example of a grooming brand employing a famous sportsman.

The company has taken a character that helped make its advertising distinctive and adapted it for an audience familiar with a very different kind of celebrity.

Three aspects of the campaign stand out.

A recognisable character is more valuable than an isolated celebrity appearance

Old Spice already has decades of visual identity associated with nautical imagery.

Marler’s bright red captain’s uniform works because it connects his personality with that established brand world.

The costume is not just a piece of comedy styling. It provides a recurring visual element that could make the character recognisable across different formats.

That is particularly useful when advertisements appear as short clips, still photographs or social media posts.

Marler’s personality reduces the need to explain the joke

An unfamiliar actor might need several commercials to establish a distinctive personality.

Marler arrives with a public image shaped by years of sporting interviews, television appearances and comedy.

Viewers who already know him understand that he is unlikely to behave like a conventional fragrance spokesman.

Old Spice can use that expectation instead of spending its advertising time establishing it.

The risk is equally clear: celebrity recognition does not automatically become brand recognition.

A successful campaign needs viewers to remember Old Spice, not simply that they enjoyed seeing Marler dressed as a ship’s captain.

The competition provides something advertising alone cannot

The #NewOldSpiceMan competition gave people a reason to interact with the campaign.

Its video-entry format invited participants to create their own material, while the prize offered an opportunity to meet Marler.

This combines celebrity recognition with social participation.

It could also provide Old Spice with useful content for future social posts, although the brand has not published figures showing how many people entered or how widely those videos were viewed.

That distinction is important.

The campaign has an identifiable creative strategy, but its commercial performance cannot be judged without evidence of sales, brand awareness or consumer response.

For advertisers, the lesson is not simply to hire a celebrity and encourage people to post videos.

It is to develop a character whose personality, appearance and behaviour fit the brand closely enough that consumers remember both.

Frequently Asked Questions

How old is Joe Marler in the Old Spice advert?

Joe Marler is 36 years old. He was born on 7 July 1990 in Eastbourne, East Sussex. He became the new British Old Spice Captain in October 2026, nearly two years after retiring from professional rugby.

Is Joe Marler really a ship’s captain?

No. Marler is a former professional rugby player. His captain’s costume is part of a fictional Old Spice advertising character. It reflects the nautical theme that has appeared in the brand’s advertising and packaging for decades.

Was Joe Marler on Soccer Aid 2026?

Yes. Joe Marler was part of the Soccer Aid 2026 celebrity line-up. The event took place at London Stadium on 31 May 2026. Old Spice was also an official sponsor, promoting its Sport Power antiperspirant range.

Is the Joe Marler advert the one with the football penalty?

No. The football penalty advert is Smell Like It Went In, released in July 2026 as part of Smell Goes a Long Way. Marler was announced as the UK Old Spice Captain in October, in a separate advertising campaign.

Where can I find the Joe Marler Old Spice campaign?

Old Spice promoted the campaign through its UK social media presence, including @oldspiceuk. The Press Association’s October launch report also includes official publicity photographs. An individual verified commercial video link has not been established for this article.

Sources

• Evening Standard / Press Association – Joe Marler becomes UK’s Old Spice Captain, 16 October 2026
• BBC Sport – Joe Marler retires from professional rugby
• BBC Sport – Who is The Celebrity Traitors’ Joe Marler?
• Soccer Aid for UNICEF – Old Spice announces official partnership
• Procter & Gamble – Old Spice Man competition terms and conditions
• Creativebrief – Old Spice UK launches Smell Goes a Long Way
• Wieden+Kennedy – Old Spice: Smell Like a Man, Man

About the Author

Gavan Corry has 18 years of marketing experience in the enterprise software industry. He writes for The Marketing Blog about brand strategy, advertising campaigns and digital marketing.

Editorial note: This article was reviewed on 10 November 2026 against news reporting, official campaign information and published advertising credits. The article will be updated if Old Spice announces further cast members or confirms additional commercial production details.