Ad of the Day: Axe Helps a Guy Get the Girl He's Been Chasing for All of Human History

Axe is growing up. Well, sort of. In an attempt to shed its image as the preferred scent of horny, pubescent boys, the Unilever brand has been moving away from its time-honored (and not-so-subtly sexist) "Axe will get you laid" messaging in favor of a more mature approach, which pretty much translates to "Axe will get you laid, but tastefully!" The "new" Axe was introduced to American audiences in the "Make love. Not war" Super Bowl spot. Now, to coincide with the relaunch of the Axe product line (which includes a "revolutionary new can, packaging design and upgraded fragrance quality," per its makers), BBH London is rolling out a new campaign across Europe. Titled "Soulmates," a 90-second spot tells the story of a man's ill-fated pursuit of a woman throughout human history. It begins in the prehistoric era, where a young man (who bears an awfully striking resemblance to Game of Thrones' Jon Snow in full North of the Wall apparel) attempts to catch the attention of a pretty girl, only to be torn away from her by a rogue iceberg. (Love, it seems, is so not easy, a caveman can't do it.) The story repeats itself over and over—his advances are variously thwarted by the eruption of Pompeii, the sinking of the Titanic and police at a Vietnam war protest. But finally, at a modern-day gas-station convenience store, our protagonist douses himself in Axe and—poof!—his "soulmate" appears. Better yet, when the gas station inevitably explodes, the pair are already strolling away, arm in arm. "Don't rely on fate," says the on-screen copy. Thanks, Axe! So, apart from that nice little cover of Harry Nilsson's "One," what makes this warmer and fuzzier than your average Axe ad? As the company explains, "While Axe continues to help men succeed in the game of attraction, the new campaign adopts a more progressive take on the story by reflecting a more thoughtful and romantic view of the relationships between a guy and a girl." In other words, less cleavage. CREDITS Client: Axe Global Vice President: Tomas Marcenaro Global Brand Director: Fernando Desouches Senior Global Brand Development Manager: Jeronimo Cadenas Global Brand Manager: Michal Berski Agency: BBH, London Deputy Executive Creative Director: David Kolbusz Creative Directors: Gary McCreadie, Wesley Hawes Creative Team: Matt Fitch, Mark Lewis, Interactive Art Director: Vinny Olimpio Strategic Business Lead: Ngaio Pardon Team Director: Heather Cuss Team Manager: Amy Forster Strategy Directors: Agathe Guerrier, Tim Jones Strategist: Shadi Sarreshtehdarzadeh Film Credits: BBH Producer: Chris Watling BBH Assistant Producer: Vaia Ikonomou Production Company: Biscuit U.K. Director: Tim Godsall Executive Producer: Orlando Wood Producer: Rick Jarjoura Director of Photography: Tim Hudson Postproduction: Electric Theatre Collective Editing: Rick Russell, Final Cut Sound Design, Mix: Raja Sehgal, Grand Central Recording Studios Additional Track Laying, Sound Design: Miles Kempton, Grand Central Recording Studios Music Supervision: The Most Radicalist Black Sheep Music; Leland Music Music Production: Leland Music Print Credits: BBH Producer: Sally Green Creative Directors: Gary McCreadie, Wesley Hawes BBH Interactive Art Director: Vinny Olimpio Computer Graphics: Richard Green, Wellcom

Brand Marketing

Ad of the Day: Axe Helps a Guy Get the Girl He's Been Chasing for All of Human History

He smells better now

Emma Bazilian

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Emma Bazilian