The New AXE Effect

When you smell irresistible, anything can happen.

BEHIND THE WORK:

AXE stands up for attraction.
But there are a million different subcultures of what that can look like. So we set out to capture a few.

Frame-by-Frame

A closer look at how creative and strategy do the dance.

#6 Best Ad of 2021

“Gen Z is rapidly changing the marketing landscape, as evidenced by the surge in brightly tinted, influencer-led campaigns. Axe and The Martin Agency went one step further by really digging into how today’s younger generation views relationships and dating. The result: a visually stunning ode to the boundless playground that is modern-day attraction. “New Axe Effect” strayed from the Unilever brand’s once problematic ethos by ditching the usual hordes of mindlessly obsessed women and showing how fun attraction can be when it’s mutual and not limited by gender. It signaled a new direction for the brand—and generated stronger sales growth than Axe had seen in nearly a decade.”
Shannon Miller, Creative and Inclusion Editor, Adweek