Isaiah Mustafa...On A Horse In A Downy Commercial

Wait, what? What's that voice intoning this new Downy Infusions commercial? Yes. It's the man your man could smell like, Isaiah Mustafa. It seems Grey New York wanted in on the Isaiah Mustafa action when it sought talent for the ad. And in a nod to Wieden + Kennedy's Old Spice work, Mustafa ends the commercial, yes, on a horse.

AgencySpy reports Wieden + Kennedy "demanded" to be on set despite having no life-long ownership over Mustafa. Both Downy and Old Spice are P&G products so it would seem the powers that be over at the client aren't overly concerned. In fact, it may have been their idea.

The spot's purpose is to rebrand Downy Simple Pleasures as Downy Infusions.

Also of note is the whistling in the spot, a historical hallmark of the Old Spice brand. Is this ingenious cross-branding or lazy creative?