'Johnny Depp' causes a big stir in Manchester city centre

‘Johnny Depp’ was seen mingling with Manchester United fans, taking selfies before the game...and handing out free bottles of men’s care range Rock Face.

So unfortunately, it was not the real deal, but actually his lookalike in a stunt organised by Rock Face as part of their ‘Make Sense’ campaign.

This was intended to be a sneaky jab at the world of overblown fragrance ads, such as those with sunglasses wearing A-listers.

Rock Face CEO, James Wilkinson said: “We wanted to have a bit of fun with it, let’s be honest, no one buys aftershave because a Hollywood ledge struts around sweaty in the Sahara. It should be about smelling great without blowing your budget, no sandstorms, no taking yourself too seriously, just a great smelling spray that actually works.” The fake Johnny was first seen swaggering around Stevenson Square, but other sightings included: Piccadilly Gardens, Market Street and the neighbouring city of Salford.

Reactions on social media ranged from “I saw Johnny Depp in town earlier and have had a proper meltdown since” to “Sure I’ve just seen that Pirates of the Caribbean bloke standing between the Piccadilly tramline and 36 bus-stop.”

Rock Face also took over the Victoria Warehouse ad screen and sent an ad van around Manchester city centre featuring the bold slogan: “Sweaty Desert Guy Smells Awful. We Smell Amazing.”

Rock Face sell their deodorant and products at most major supermarkets and simply want to take the “nonsense” out of fragrance marketing.

It’s clear they grabbed the attention of Manchester with this campaign!