No tits and bums. Yay. Axe is showing its romantic side. And the BBH commercial is so much stronger for it.
The plot is eons old – and that’s the point. “Boy sees girl across a crowded room – fate keeps them apart,” is not the road less travelled for love stories. BBH revisits the story in every historical era since the Ice Age – using the same boy and girl every time. Soulmates, clearly!?
When it reaches the present, it adds a twist: “boy uses Axe – thwarts fate.” Powerful motive for using Axe, unquestionably!! All the more with the motto, “Don’t rely on fate.”
BBH London rewrote history to support the Axe range re-launch that includes new fragrance quality, new cans and package designs.
Wesley Hawes and Gary McCreadie, creative directors at BBH London, explained, “We wanted to create an epic love story that dramatised the power of the new upgraded Axe fragrances. In Soulmates, we see our protagonist pursue his true love through various stages of time, trying to overcome the biggest obstacle in his path – fate. This campaign represents a more grown up approach to romance and relationships from Axe. The idea came from the insight that there’s nothing worse than a missed opportunity. Regret is a terrible thing but by never giving up – and with a little help – you can make it happen.”
“It’s not about quantity any more, but about quality. Axe is perfectly positioned to help guys in their search with the smell of a fragrance providing the spark of interest that ignites a classic love story between a guy and the girl of his dreams. BBH have brought this to life with a classic Axe Effect story – a poetic and epic film that supports our best product mix ever.” Fernando Desouches, Axe global brand director, added.
The 90 second spot was directed by Tim Godsall through Biscuit Filmworks. Order of Era created the new version of One originally sung by Harry Nilsson.
The campaign is being spread across TV, cinema, OOH, print, mobile and digital and launched in mainland Europe this week.
Other Axe/Lynx markets will get the campaign in the next few months.
Creative credits:
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
Production company: Biscuit Filmworks
Director: Tim Godsall
Executive producer: Orlando Woods
Producer: Rick Jarjoura
Director of Photography: Tim Hudson
Post production: Electric Theatre Collective
Editing: Final Cut
Sound Design & Mix: Grand Central Sound Studios
