Top 'smellies' revealed

Most people born in the 1970s and 80s will have vivid memories of being bombarded with aftershave adverts on the telly at Christmas (some things never change).

If it wasn't former boxer, Henry Cooper, popping onto the screen, trying to flog us the virtues of Brut by "splashing it all over", or a crazy martial arts fella flying through the air after reacting to a dab of Hai Karate, then there was always the moustached smoothie to look forward to, as he tried to look cool as a woman stroked his chest and hands. The potion he was peddling was Denim.

Last but not least, we had the Hollywood-styled grandiose production that accompanied all Old Spice ads. These were something epic and special. And there were no partially dressed men, or women, to be seen. Oh, it was a glorious time to be a fella – and smell good (or smell of something)!

KING HENRY: Cooper (right) and footballer, Kevin Keegan, fronted the Brut ad campaigns.

Aftershave adverts have long been a staple on our TVs. So, fast forward a few decades to 2021, and we find them prevalent once again at this time of year. But out has gone the rugged look, replaced by a more refined and streamlined look and message. Yet which aftershave advert is the most loved? 

Onbuy Mens Aftershave– an online supplier of high-octane liquids – has conducted some research and compiled its top-10 list. To do this, the retailer has used YouTube as its research hub which means its findings are nothing more than a snapshot and certainly don't stand up to too much critical scrutiny. Nonetheless, it's an interesting piece of work that might provoke a conversation, or two!

MORE REFINED: modern adverts adopt a more sophisticated look and feel.

The most popular men's aftershaves of all time...

1) Toy Boy by Moschino

2) 1 Million by Paco Rabanne

3) Y Eau de Parfum by Yves Saint Laurent

4) Dior Homme Intense by Dior

5) Eros by Versace

6) Ombre Feather by Tom Lord

7) Versace Pour Homme Dylan Blue by Versace

8) Bleu de Cahnel by Chanel

9) Prada L'Homme by Prada

10) CK One by Calvin Klein

SIMPLE MESSAGE: the wordsmiths promoting Brut knew how to plug their product

"Obviously, the younger generations have never experienced the burn of a dab of Denim, or the pulsing sensation of a bit of Brut," commented Sorted's, Tony Yorke. "If they had, then these two classics would have surely penetrated the top 10 list.

"It is a tragedy younger men are not spraying themselves in the scents of yesteryear, which had the power to kill a stallion at 50 yards. It's alright smelling sweetly most of the day, as is the want of the modern-day fella, but Brut put hair on your chest and was also a pretty good smelling salt. It cleared your head within seconds, bringing clarity and a pungent odour in one small, innocent-looking bottle. Nothing you buy today comes close."

THE MARK OF A MAN: That's the message that resonated with fellas that bought Denim.