AXE/LYNX: The Power of a Fragrance
AXE/LYNX needed to relaunch its core 'attraction' positioning for a Gen Z audience that found previous emotional branding flat. LOLA MullenLowe was tasked with promoting the new Fine Fragrance Collection by making the 'Lynx Effect' feel relevant again, moving away from dated stereotypes toward a more sophisticated, humorous, and bold brand identity that could drive sales in the UK and global markets.
Creative Idea
Protagonists narrated absurd, high-stakes crimes and tragedies caused by an irresistible, logic-defying fragrance.
Lynx revived its 'irresistible attraction' positioning by using dark, absurd humor to show that its new fine fragrances are so powerful they override social norms, logic, and the law in high-stakes, documentary-style scenarios.
Stealing Corpses and Breaking Sales Records
The Mystery of Lionel Goldstein
The campaign’s distinct visual language - described as a blend of Wes Anderson and Tim Burton - was crafted by the director Lionel Goldstein. In reality, Goldstein is a legendary pseudonym for the Belgian duo Koen Mortier and Joe Vanhoutteghem. Known for their "near-documentary" style, the duo often rewrites scripts to inject a sense of deadpan absurdity. For Lynx, this meant contrasting high-stakes tragedies, like a funeral or a robbery, with calm, self-aware narration that highlights the Blue Lavender scent’s power to override human logic.
Reviving the Lynx Effect for Gen Z
This relaunch successfully pivoted the brand away from the "laddish" stereotypes of the 1990s toward a more sophisticated, self-deprecating humor. Tomás Ostiglia, ECD at LOLA MullenLowe, noted that while many agencies talk about bringing humor back, few clients actually dare to execute it with such boldness. The strategy worked: the campaign helped the Fine Fragrance Collection become the #1 Health & Beauty launch in the UK for 2024.
Record Breaking Retail Results
The "morally troubling" nature of the films - particularly the "Funeral" spot where a mourner essentially kidnaps a corpse - resonated deeply with a younger audience that found previous emotional branding "flat." This engagement translated into massive commercial success, generating £12.1 million in Retail Sales Value in its first year. The campaign reached 4.2% of UK households and successfully converted 2.2 million buyers, many of whom were entirely new to the brand. By focusing on the functional benefit of smelling great through a lens of dark comedy, Lynx reclaimed its status as a cultural provocateur.
Creative Strategy Deconstructed
Company
A legacy of 'The Lynx Effect' and a new premium fragrance collection capable of rivaling high-end colognes.
Category
Fragrance brands often rely on generic, overly serious, or 'diluted' emotional storytelling that feels disconnected from younger audiences.
Customer
Gen Z men who value humor and authenticity over traditional 'laddish' tropes but still want to smell great.
Culture
A cultural shift toward dark, surreal humor and 'deadpan' aesthetics that reward viewers for their attention and intelligence.
Company
A legacy of 'The Lynx Effect' and a new premium fragrance collection capable of rivaling high-end colognes.
Category
Fragrance brands often rely on generic, overly serious, or 'diluted' emotional storytelling that feels disconnected from younger audiences.
Strategy:
Leverage extreme absurdity to dramatize functional benefits, transforming a dated brand promise into a modern entertainment property.
Customer
Gen Z men who value humor and authenticity over traditional 'laddish' tropes but still want to smell great.
Culture
A cultural shift toward dark, surreal humor and 'deadpan' aesthetics that reward viewers for their attention and intelligence.
Strategy:
Leverage extreme absurdity to dramatize functional benefits, transforming a dated brand promise into a modern entertainment property.
Strategy Technique
Use Absurd Logic
By taking the 'irresistible scent' promise to its most illogical and extreme conclusion, the brand bypasses rational skepticism and creates a memorable, humorous connection with a younger, irony-loving demographic.
Explore Technique
Creative Technique
Embrace the Weird
The campaign uses bizarre, over-the-top scenarios like a funeral and a robbery to dramatize the scent's power, making the brand's traditional attraction claim feel fresh, self-aware, and entertaining for a Gen Z audience.
Explore Technique
Craft Breakdown
The campaign excels through its bold use of dark humor and high-stakes scenarios to dramatize a simple product benefit. The commitment to the 'absurd' through acting and direction makes the 'Lynx Effect' feel fresh and memorable.
The actors maintain complete sincerity in utterly ridiculous situations, which is crucial for the humor to land.
The dialogue is sharp and funny, particularly the deadpan delivery of the waiter and the funeral director.
The synergy between the deadpan acting and the dramatic musical shifts creates the perfect comedic timing for the absurd premise.
