Axe: Young and Mature
Axe wanted to broaden its appeal beyond a narrow demographic, demonstrating brand versatility. The client needed an innovative, interactive campaign to show that Axe attracted both young and mature women. The challenge was to engage young men playfully, highlighting the product's universal allure and expanding its perceived desirability across different female segments, ultimately boosting market presence.
Creative Idea
Axe created a 3D video where viewers saw young or mature women with one eye, proving its broad appeal.
Axe created a unique 3D video experience that allows viewers to see different women (young and mature) by using only their right or left eye, creating an innovative and engaging visual illusion. The campaign aims to showcase the versatility of the Axe brand by presenting multiple perspectives and attracting different audience segments through a playful and interactive marketing approach.
Creative Strategy Deconstructed
Company
Axe has a long-standing reputation for provocative, male-centric marketing that pushes boundaries. They possess the creative equity to experiment with 'first-of-its-kind' digital interactions that gamify the concept of attraction.
Category
The category traditionally relies on passive, high-glamour TV spots or scent strips in magazines. Most fragrance brands focus on a single, static persona, rarely offering consumers an interactive way to experience product versatility.
Customer
Young men often experience a tension between different archetypes of attraction and desire. They seek digital entertainment that is clever, slightly transgressive, and puts them in the 'driver's seat' of their own visual experience.
Culture
The early 2010s saw a massive resurgence in 3D technology and a shift toward 'lean-in' digital content where users expected to interact with and manipulate video media rather than just watching it.
Company
Axe has a long-standing reputation for provocative, male-centric marketing that pushes boundaries. They possess the creative equity to experiment with 'first-of-its-kind' digital interactions that gamify the concept of attraction.
Category
The category traditionally relies on passive, high-glamour TV spots or scent strips in magazines. Most fragrance brands focus on a single, static persona, rarely offering consumers an interactive way to experience product versatility.
Strategy:
Leverage 3D visual illusions to gamify male desire, making the brand the interactive curator of diverse attraction fantasies.
Customer
Young men often experience a tension between different archetypes of attraction and desire. They seek digital entertainment that is clever, slightly transgressive, and puts them in the 'driver's seat' of their own visual experience.
Culture
The early 2010s saw a massive resurgence in 3D technology and a shift toward 'lean-in' digital content where users expected to interact with and manipulate video media rather than just watching it.
Strategy:
Leverage 3D visual illusions to gamify male desire, making the brand the interactive curator of diverse attraction fantasies.
Strategy Technique
Turn Weakness Into Strength
Axe's perceived weakness was its narrow demographic appeal. The campaign directly countered this by showcasing the product's universal allure to both young and mature women.
Explore Technique
Creative Technique
Cutting-edge Tech
The campaign utilized a unique 3D video experience to create an interactive visual illusion. This bleeding-edge technology allowed Axe to playfully demonstrate its universal appeal across different demographics.
Explore Technique
