The Reverse Axe Effect

Please watch video links!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9tWZB7OUSU

This is a commercial for the very popular man's body spray Axe. In the commercial they have gorgeous women running the forest in itty bitty bikini's to get to what looks like either the last man on earth, or the smartest man who has all the Axe up and been spraying himself for days. The music is epic and the cinematography isn't half bad.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VayRSFupV7o&feature=related

Now this is obviously an independent version. Some and almost most women actually hate the smell of Axe. This video I think is its own form of culture jamming, while it is a little blunter about it then I would like. It could use some subtly to be considered culture jamming but none the less this is an interesting take on the product.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5s_XTLlXao&feature=related

In this commercial the message is clear that if a beautiful woman smells there new fragrance that she will be so overwhelmed and not be able to control herself. This woman is going to meet such a hot guy in this classy restaurant but yet she is so taken with the smell she has to grab the waiter’s ass? I don't think this is realistic. Maybe it is not even suppose to be realistic and I am looking to deep into its meaning but I find it degrading and offensive.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHGIGvukaKE&feature=related

This last one just confuses me. I just don’t get how they are emphasizing how good their product is. He falls through his shower floor, ok. Starts leading a dance class? Weird, but ok. Naked and the girls seem to be not jarred at all? This commercial was actually banned from the air because of the nudity.

The point is that the companies marketing technique is actually better then the product. Goes to show you that you can sell almost anything as long as you know how to sell it. If I followed what advertisements like this said and believed everything I saw on television I would be pretty mad when I found out that the body wash was horrible or that Axe actually repulsed women.

You would think that they would have enough money by now to take a survey of the consumers. Then they might find out the truth. And maybe stop those horrible commercials. Because everyone knows, behind every man’s body spray there is a girlfriend who makes him get it.