Christopher Hunter's Blog

An important aspect of marketing is to get a product to stick into the consumer’s mind. Axe, a brand of male grooming products, has taken an unconventional approach in achieving this goal by creating advertisements that are deliberately sexual, and in some cases misogynistic. In addition, much of the controversy from these ads stems from the sexual themes which can easily reach a younger audience than the brand’s intended demographic.

Axe’s controversial ad campaigns bring up an interesting question: when should marketers draw the line when it comes to sexually explicit content? Axe is one of the best selling deodorants in the world. They’ve successfully reached their target market through their ad campaigns and have climbed their way to the top of the food chain in the men’s toiletries industry. In his article, Ben Berkon suggests that Axe’s main selling point is the fact that it delivers self-confidence through its product. He says, “with Axe, you get what you want in life — which is, of course, hot chicks.” On the other hand, Axe has infuriated many men and women alike. Margaret Hartmann, for example, described Axe on her blog as “the cheap toiletry equivalent of the He-Man Woman Haters Club”. Hopefully, in the future, Axe will be able to find a balance in their ads that will appease both their consumers and the general public.