Axe imitators don't always smell quite right
Axe ads are often called misogynistic, but most of them (the BBH ones, anyway) are outlandish to the point of self-parody. (The infamous "Guy Wash" spot from BBH New York is like something out of Austin Powers.) But in the flood of imitation-Axe ads coming from the rest of the category, the results can be a little off. That's the case with Energy BBDO's work for Dial's Magnetic men's body wash. Print ads like the one above, and this "slumpbuster" one, err on the side of meathead-ish. The videos on the Web site (two of them are posted below) are better, with more of a sense of humor, though the NYC group-sniffing event is weird, and gets more so when the MC tells the women they've been "gang-sniffed" by the guys in the bathrobes. Turns out it's not so easy to do this stuff well after all. UPDATE: Here's one of the TV spots, which has a lot of singing and for some reason seems to target married couples. |
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August 10, 2009 in BBDO, Dial, Energy BBDO, Nudd, Personal care | Permalink |
Comments
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Scent dating is clever.
Posted by: Lenore Beadsman | Aug 11, 2009 1:12:02 PM
You said that commercials of Axe are better specially from BBH. Well I agree that Axe ads are better but specially from Ponce Buenos Aires. This agency did better job for Unilever than any other. Thanks
Posted by: Seba | Aug 11, 2009 1:32:59 PM
The scent dating idea was interesting.
But why single out BBH? Since every agency is probably working off of the same strategy. Ponce too (ask Seba who must obviously work there).
I don't think the ads are misogynistic. That's a stretch. They're playfully 'guy fantasy' and that's based on a truth. Also, half the people working on Axe all of these brands are probably women. Looking at the ads, you'd also notice women are always in on what is obviously tongue-in-cheek 'guy attracts girl' humor. They are also always in control of the situation, while the guy is just some lucky startled fellow.
Posted by: Sandra | Aug 12, 2009 1:27:04 AM
