AXE is known for their amazing and creative campaigns, but what we admire most from these campaigns is the inclusion of the target with surprising accuracy, but from a perspective that makes them feel good about themselves. Although they don’t tout the “Real Beauty” message of Dove, AXE sells the idea that guys can be sexy without chasing a six-pack. All they need is some quality deodorant. See how they did it below.
Lately, we’ve seen many brands take aim at gender stereotyping, like Victoria’s Secret’s “A Body for Everybody” (a strong improvement on their initially controversial “Perfect Body” campaign). But Axe took a different approach, and asked ‘what’s wrong with looking at the fun side of the message?’ And for good reason: funny spots are the most memorable commercials for men aged 15-20 — especially when compared to more emotional or reflective spots.
AXE is not trying to start a gender discourse, it’s just using a creative way to engage a target market that’s fed up with the fashion industry’s stereotypes of perfect beauty. Let’s not forget the core of the Axe’s selling proposition: “flirt without worrying about body odour.” We have to establish the emotional value of our products or services, and make that relevant to our consumers. To do this, we have to understand their age, purchasing power, and most importantly, their reasons for buying the product. Let’s make that final decision easier for them.
#FindYourMagic is the evolution of the brand, utilizing what they know about their target to make them laugh, and it’s a way by which AXE scores points in their favor: attacking the target with intelligent insights.
That is BRAIN-DING!