Niki Geiger
English 100
Group Paper; Axe Advertising Effect
As addressed earlier, Axe is a very well-known fragrance company that sells cologne and
different types of products for men. Typically, these products are introduced to a nerdy guy or a
less athletic guy that is having trouble with talking to women and needs a little help from his
friends. After given the product, he is transformed into more of an athletic man, and crowds of
beautiful women are surrounding and chasing after him. These crowds of women are like mobs
running towards the man with an expression on their face of desire, want, and aggression. Once
the women get to the men, they are shown as obsessed with touching and being close to him in a
very sexual way. By doing this, Axe is attempting to say that if one uses their product women
will do anything to have them. As discussed earlier, Axe’s new shampoo to treat dandruff has the
slogan of “Lose the flakes, Get the girls!”, as well as “Get the look that gets the girls” and the
body spray slogan of “Use More, Get More” These mottos, now a days however, are not
unexpected from this brand, nor is it thought of as a bad way to advertise; yet if we compared it
to a couple years ago, this type of advertising was done in a very different way. Not only has the
way of advertising this product changed, but the clothing, language and appearances of the actors
and models in the advertisement have changed as well.
In 2002 Axe was introduced as a body spray deodorant from France. This spray was
introduced in a less sexual more casual way, but still portrayed that if it is used women will want
you and want to be near you. The commercial starts out with a woman dressed in regular
clothing explaining to men how to use axe on a mannequin, by straying it under the arms and
across the chest, when another woman dressed in non-revealing clothing comes over and starts
getting closer to the mannequin. After this happens, the woman spraying the body spray, yells
and gets angry saying, “I know you’re not touching my mannequin!” This portrays that woman
are willing and are going to get crazy over any man wearing it, and will fight other woman to
have then man wearing it. Even though this is one of the first commercials for axe in the United
States, it is already starting to show women desperate for a man wearing this cologne. This
commercial also demonstrations how a woman will be drawn to any man or anything for that
matter that has the smell of axe body spray. This shows how women are desperate and willing to
change completely over and for a man because of a physical feature.
If we then compare that to advertisements in 2007 one can see that the advertisements
from just five years ago, are not only starting to become inappropriate but they are also doing it
in a clever more sly way. Commercials from 2007 have the slogan of “Bow chicka wow wow” to
sell their body spray, body wash and shampoo. This slogan that represents all of their products
still has a sexual connection but it is less obvious and more of a jingle than a slogan like, “Use
More, Get More”. Advertisements from this year sell the product in less of a sexual way in many
more ways than just the slogan. For example, a commercial from 2007still shows a woman
dressed in casual clothing, however she is still uncontrollably attracted to the man wearing the
axe body spray. Although her clothing is casual it is also starting to become more explicit by
showing more skim than the previous advertisements. In this commercial the woman is wearing
a white tank top that shows he mid drift and jeans; she is also pushing an elderly woman in a
wheel chair at a grocery store. But when she smells the produce man’s axe and pushes all her
other priorities away and just becomes instantly attracted to the man. This then leads to her
singing the catchy “bow chicka wow wow” jingle and making sexual dance moves right up next
to him, going along with the idea that no matter who they are, women will want sex instantly
when they smell this spray. This is also one of the first axe advertisements that present the Axe
Effect of advertising, selling sex to sell the product. Selling sex in the advertisement not only
destroys the self esteem of young men and women but it also shows an unrealistic idea to both
men and women, making them act in a different way.
The idea behind today’s advertisements is to attract men who are having trouble getting
women to like them or find them sexually attractive, by giving them a false hope. This false hope
convinces them to buy and use the Axe product, and in return women will be not onlyfind these
men more attractive than others but they will be chasing and throwing themselves at them for
sex. Axe has made a big impact over the last couple of years by introducing the “Axe Effect”
(Howard) into marketing. This new advertising technique launched by the Axe Company is
“specifically targeted for young men with one theme, lust”. Some call this way of advertisement
obscene or explicit, but sales show that is works. Selling Sex and Lust, seems to be the easiest
way of selling a successful product to young men as well as women. For example in today’s
2012 advertisements Axe is showing more women in bikinis chasing after men, enhancing the
effect that their body spray and product makes sexy beautiful model type women chase after the
average man. These commercials are not only showing women chasing after men, but it also
includes sexual language. For something that is broadcasted on public television that young
children and teenagers are subject too, these advertisements are extremely sexual, which causes
today’s youth to grow up with an expectation of how they should look, and what will happen to
their sex life if they use this product. This language includes sayings like “no one wants to play
with dirty balls,” and the classic “use more get more” slogan that axe uses to sell their product.
Over the past ten years, Axe’s advertisements have highlighted how men want women,
but they are using the wrong tools to get them. This is highlighted by the man first looking like a
loser in the woman department, and then after using the product, being transformed into a ladies’
man. They don’t have to be nice, good looking, respectful or anything to be desirable; all they
need to do is wear axe body spray. In these commercials it shows how all women really want
from men is sex and that this scent will get them instantly turned on. This idea is presented
through society today by the media, portraying that all men want is lust, sex and for multiple
women to want them. However, this is a stereo type, and addresses men as not only pigs but as
eager and hungry for women to drool all over them. This affects how both men and women view
themselves and each other because they now have an ideal from early age on how they should
look and act. This not only shows men an unrealistic view on women, but it also shows women it
is ok to throw yourself all over a guy you don’t know just because of how they appear to be. The
Axe Effect shows men and women that personality and getting to know someone does not truly
matter, and that it is only about how physically attracted to someone one is to other, and how
slim one’s body is. It also highlights in the commercials, even if one is in a relationship it is
understandable to leave or cheat on one another. These advertisements have not only grown to
become a sex ad on television, but its showing younger people in today’s society how they
should look and act based on a product; which directly affects their self-esteem more and more
as they start to become an adult. This is not only a long lasting effect, but it can harm them
emotionally as well as physically. Most young people watching these advertisements will not
only harm their body to portray this perfect image, but they will also be relentless and to
anything they can to get it.