After more than a decade of peddling misogyny to sell deodorant, AXE has made a U-turn. Shawn Henfling welcomes them to the new masculinity.
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If you haven’t seen the new advertising campaign for AXE products, do it. The change, refreshing and positive, has come as a shock to many. Since I’ve been relatively vocal in my criticism of AXE, the time has come for me to congratulate them on the positive direction they’ve taken.
About a year ago I came down pretty hard on AXE. I took issue with their brand imaging, how they positioned themselves in the marketplace and the messages they were sending their target market. Apparently my ideas resonated, as the article remained popular well beyond what I’d expected. After roughly a decade of the same tactics, pushing the envelope of good taste, AXE has suddenly changed direction. I’m as surprised as the next guy, and color me equally impressed and skeptical. Here is their new video, see for yourself.
The new ad campaign focuses on individuality and helping men “find their magic.” Imagery has changed from teen looking men being chased by often scantily clad women to male centric grooming. Gone are the skirt chasers, misogynistic imagery and traditional sexual roles. The role of men in society has been changing for years and AXE seemed content to watch them change, clinging tightly to their strategy. They played on the insecurities inherent in adolescent boys and their desire to get the hottest girl and gain social standing by doing so.
What happened? Why, after such an unarguably successful run, would the company alter course so drastically? Did the leadership of a company that built its success on the harmful traditionalist attitudes of masculinity finally see the light? AXE seemingly grew into a powerhouse brand for Unilever during the ‘metro-sexual’ movement of the early 2000’s and never stopped gaining ground and new customers.
Their new messages aren’t just about gaining confidence by having the ladies chase you down. The new narrative is that it’s OK to be yourself.
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There is no doubt that the market for mens personal grooming products has become crowded in recent years. Dove, Old Spice, Degree and even Burt’s Bees are in the game and looking to claim more share. Some have chosen to emulate the formula AXE has used, and it was receiving more and more blow back from a broad audience. Coupled with a change in their marketing firm, it may have been the perfect time to make a strategic adjustment.
Regardless of the motivation behind it, the dramatic adjustment is a refreshing change. I can get behind any thing that celebrates the individuality and breaking of stereotypes. It seems like AXE is pretty serious about it too. They’re monitoring Google Analytics for search terms and creating content designed to help men answer their questions about personal grooming. Their new messages aren’t just about gaining confidence by having the ladies chase you down. The new narrative is that it’s OK to be yourself.
AXE and Unilever aren’t setting the world on fire. They haven’t re-invented the wheel or gone to great lengths to condemn the archaic notions of masculinity they’ve previously promoted. Right now, I’m just glad their advertising strategy reflects the shifting definition of modern manhood. Here at the Good Men Project, we’ve been promoting the changing definition of men for a long time. I think I can speak for the rest of our staff and contributors when I welcome AXE and Unilever to the conversation. Huzzah!
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Also by Shawn Henfling
Inside The Prison Of My Mind | I Refuse To Babysit My Children | I Think Of Suicide Like You Think Of Changing Jobs | The Suicide Note I Never Left |
The photo is a screen grab from a former advertising campaign for AXE products.
In a study conducted in the late 90s’, it was discovered that in 96% of commercials where one was to be portrayed as a inept, irresponsible, or incapable (the buffoon), it was a male, white male. Today marketing research companies such as Omelet, and others are scrambling to meet the expectations of men; trying to speak our language. It was and is because of men like yourself, big mouths like myself, that have paved the way for such change (Axe commercials made me want to scratch my eyes out also). Gone are the days of Abercrombie romantic, shirtless poses; welcome… Read more »
I willalways choose and have chosen tanks, guns, motorcycles and gym over sparkle glitter spring wear, a мurse, a manscaped set of eyebrows, waxed and coiffed beard and a culture that is just looking to hug it OUT. Glad I left the U.S., no regrets.
That’s all marketers have done forever is to sell human insecurities. That’s the only way they know to get a guaranteed big win. And of course they do it to women too. Case in point. In the early 1920’s razor blades weren’t selling as well. So they established a new beauty idealto get women to be insecure about body hair. That of course became a multi billion dollar business and many people think thats the difference between men and womenand has always been that way. Most of entrenched ideas of masculinity and femininity are created and spoken like a simple… Read more »
I had to LOL …. AXE is the favorite of the clients on our adolescent unit. Do you know why? (may want to add this to the commercial) It has the best smoking cover-up smell. It’s used so much for smoking cover up, we’ve had to ban it.
Lol Tom. That is way too funny!
Huzzah indeed. Thank you Shawn for the keen use of your acute sense of smell and influential writing that smells, to me, like the sent of victory. May Unilever follow the path marked by that sent further and when it comes to selling grooming products appealing to male insecurities, may more corporations stop smelling each others butts.
So glad that I did not grow up as a teen in this generation. Thanks for the blog fodder I was looking to an appropriate follow on to the murse and new spring SPARKLE fashions
And it gave me an idea for a great new collaboration for a side gig – so Thanks again
A shout out from where masculinity still means guns, tanks, motorcycles, the gym and chasing skirt