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Power Brand Axe deodorant has been working hard on itself. “We’ve been on a journey to re-find its edge,” says Axe’s Global Brand Director, Caroline Gregory.
The glow-up began with the creation of the Fine Fragrance Collection, putting superior fragrance at the heart of the brand. “We elevated Axe’s product experience with fragrances that smell as good as luxury high-end ones,” says Caroline. “And it’s working. Since its launch in 2023, the collection has helped drive growth across all our markets around the world.”
Redefining the humour the brand is known for took longer. “To get Gen Z’s attention, you need to understand them deeply and provide value to their lives in some way,” says Caroline. “For us, that’s entertainment. 40% of our audience use social media to find content that’s funny.”
Comedy is a serious business. 90% of consumers are more likely to remember a product associated with a humorous treatment and 80% are more likely to buy something again if the brand is funny.
“In recent years, I think we were trying to be too cool. Now, the only thing Axe takes seriously is our superior fragrances. Everything else is about lightening the pressure for young guys by entertaining them to the absolute max.”
Social listening helped Axe find its funny bone. Its new ads with LOLA MullenLowe take fragrance’s power of attraction and amplify it to ridiculous extremes, in comic scenarios that are edgy, dark and sometimes absurd.
A recent campaign for its lower body spray includes a basketball player who sprays Axe on his shorts and gets attention for more than his slam dunk. “We got 33 million views organically without any paid media and a 300% uplift in UK sales the minute the ad went on air,” Caroline says.
Beyond social, the campaign also grabbed attention with interactive ‘scratch and sniff’ billboards that allowed audiences to sample fragrances out-of-home. The campaign won a Gold Lion at this year’s Cannes.
Results like this mean that when a catnip-fragranced limited edition was pitched on the back of research showing 60% of cat owners wouldn’t date someone their pet dislikes, it was taken seriously.
Axe Catnip went from idea to can in the space of three months. The scent was created by world-renowned French perfumer Jacob Varela with 50% catnip essential oil. “This wasn’t about making a variant for cats. It was about making a fragrance for young guys that smelt good and had the added benefit that it works for cats,” Caroline says.
Its launch, which included influencer content and a catnip-scented billboard capturing the reaction of enamoured felines, achieved 164.9K organic views across TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.
Brand conversations grew by 185% and the limited-edition fragrance found itself with a customer waiting list, all of which earned the campaign two Bronze Cannes Lions: one in the Film category and another in the Brand Experience & Activations.
When it comes to adding a new fragrance at scale, robust data and expertise on what’s trending in the world of fine fragrances means Axe is always confident that it has a hit on its hands.
Its two latest fine fragrance variants, Black Vanilla and Cherry Spritz, tap into consumer trends for gourmand scents with edible notes like vanilla, berries and caramel.
With their ability to evoke memories of homemade sweets and emotional connections, these gourmand scents are increasingly popular with Gen Z, 50% of whom wear a scent based on their mood.
Social media platforms have also played a significant role in increasing their popularity, with the hashtag #SmellLikeASnack achieving 69 million views on TikTok.
“We did some research into the power of attraction, and what still holds true is when Gen Z guys are in front of someone they want to connect with, self-doubt still holds them back,” says Caroline.
“Yet for young people, fragrance can be an ‘effortless’ effort. And that gives us a lot of playing ground on how fragrance can change it all for young guys in the moment.”
To bring this to life, The Power of Sweetness campaign features a series of ads that combine Axe’s playful yet absurd tone with humour. Each ad gives typically sweet scenarios an unexpected twist, with characters including teddy bears and a cute dog humorously reacting to the power of Axe fragrances.
The ads are trending on TikTok, and Axe Cherry Spritz has been in the Fine Fragrance Collection’s top three bestsellers everywhere it has launched.
“We have a lot of trust in the partners we choose. They stretch us to really elevate the comedy even further,” says Caroline. “It’s essential for brands to take risks, to be able to cut through and grab Gen Z attention, and for AXE, we chose humour.”
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