Lynx: Scratch & Sniff
Lynx tasked LOLA MullenLowe Madrid with launching their new Lower Body Spray, a fragrance designed for the groin area. The challenge was to overcome the embarrassment men feel when purchasing or sampling products for their lower regions. The goal was to drive awareness and trial among young men by making the product feel essential, modern, and unapologetically masculine.
Creative Idea
Turned billboards into giant scratch-and-sniff crotches to make sampling a private product a public joke.
Lynx launched its Lower Body Spray by turning high-fashion billboards into interactive scratch and sniff experiences, inviting men to lean into their natural instinct to scratch their crotch to sample the fragrance in a humorous, public product demonstration.
Refreshing Eight Hundred Thousand Testicles in London
Microencapsulation and High Fashion
The production relied on microencapsulation technology, utilizing a specialized scented ink containing the actual fragrance. When passersby rubbed the surface, the micro-capsules ruptured to release the scent. To balance the "gross" factor of scratching a crotch in public, the agency tapped photographer Alberto Van Stokkum. Known for provocative high-fashion work, Van Stokkum shot the campaign in a minimalist, black-and-white style reminiscent of classic Calvin Klein advertisements. This elevated the aesthetic, ensuring the "New Lynx" brand positioning felt premium rather than low-brow.
Solving the Sampling Stigma
The campaign addressed a specific psychological barrier: men are often too embarrassed to use tester bottles for groin-related products in a retail environment. By moving the "sampling" to a cheeky, street-level billboard, LOLA MullenLowe turned a private habit into a public joke. Tomás Ostiglia, Executive Creative Director, noted that the strategy leaned into a "natural instinct to solve a real problem." Global Brand Director Caroline Gregory described the boards as a "celebration of confidence in its most unapologetic form."
Triple Digit Sales Growth
The commercial impact was immediate, with the brand recording a 300% lift in sales during the first week of the launch. Beyond the physical billboards managed by Kinetic, the campaign went viral as pedestrians filmed themselves interacting with the ads, generating millions of organic impressions. By the end of the first year, the project was on track to sell 420,000 units, a volume the agency humorously calculated would "refresh 840,000 testicles."
Creative Strategy Deconstructed
Company
A bold brand known for provocative humor and a new product specifically for male groin hygiene.
Category
Deodorant brands usually focus on underarms or general body spray, ignoring specific lower body needs and hygiene.
Customer
Men want to smell good everywhere but feel embarrassed to buy or test products for their sensitive areas.
Culture
A cultural shift toward male grooming and the normalization of discussing previously taboo hygiene habits with humor.
Company
A bold brand known for provocative humor and a new product specifically for male groin hygiene.
Category
Deodorant brands usually focus on underarms or general body spray, ignoring specific lower body needs and hygiene.
Strategy:
Normalize a private hygiene habit by turning a public taboo into an interactive and humorous product demonstration.
Customer
Men want to smell good everywhere but feel embarrassed to buy or test products for their sensitive areas.
Culture
A cultural shift toward male grooming and the normalization of discussing previously taboo hygiene habits with humor.
Strategy:
Normalize a private hygiene habit by turning a public taboo into an interactive and humorous product demonstration.
Results
The campaign saw significant commercial success, with sales lifting by 300% in the first week after launch. It is projected to sell 420,000 units in its first year alone. The video humorously notes that the campaign reached approximately 840,000 testicles. The activation turned traditional outdoor media into an interactive sampling experience that generated high engagement and social sharing.
+300%
sales lift in first week
420K
projected unit sales in year one
840K
testicles reached
Strategy Technique
Find the Missing Conversation
By addressing the unspoken reality of groin hygiene through humor and high-fashion aesthetics, Lynx claimed a sensitive conversation that other brands avoid, turning a taboo subject into a commercial success.
Explore Technique
Creative Technique
Lean Into the Problem
The campaign embraces the awkward, private habit of men scratching their lower regions and transforms it into a public, interactive sampling mechanic that directly demonstrates the product's purpose.
Explore Technique
Craft Breakdown
The campaign excels by taking a low-tech, nostalgic printing method and scaling it to a provocative outdoor activation that perfectly matches the product's 'lower body' utility.
Transforming a standard billboard into a tactile, interactive sampling station that forces a physical engagement with the brand.
The bold use of black-and-white photography with neon green accents creates a premium yet edgy look for a potentially 'crude' product category.
