Unilever?s Axe celebrates uncoolness in funny social-only campaign
Unilever calls out ads built around always-sexy guys in an irreverent mobile-first effort delivering surprise customized videos and showcasing how Axe can make users cool, even when they are not.
The campaign, which is running in South Africa from April 1 to May 31, introduces Axe?s new Dry anti-perspirant range, which now comes in an all-white can. Several videos ? tailored for mobile and appearing on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram ? depict how men can be clumsy and make bad fashion decisions while giving viewers a chance to win uncool prizes such as a portable sleeping helmet.
?Axe wanted to build awareness in a cool and funky way that would be digital only,? said Jordan Wallace, CEO at Gorilla Creative Media.
?Mobile video is being distributed across social and tailored within each channel,? he said.
?There is no click to Web site mechanism ? the campaign is entirely social.?
Unilever worked with agency Gorilla Creative Media to create the campaign.
Getting real
In the videos, Axe embraces trend toward more realistic depictions of personal appearance and care that has proven successful for brands, such as Unilever?s Dove, when targeting women, and interprets it for a male audience.
The videos have been viewed 1.5 million times and the hashtag has been used seven thousand times since the effort was launched at the beginning of April. The campaign is currently live on Facebook, Twitter and is one YouTube as well. A mobile campaign site is also live.
Celebrity Xzibit appears in the videos, where he points out that while a lot of ads feature men with carved abdominals or immaculate hair, real guys are often not as poised. The narration asserts that Axe is making a stand for normal guys by not making unrealistic promises. Instead, the ad says Axe will keep users fresh.
The campaign?s tagline is: ?Be Cool. Even when you?re not.?
Viewers who retweet and comment on the videos using the hashtag #YouGottaDry are entered to win a product kit and one of 1,000 ?uncool? prizes such as Bluetooth phone gloves, a portable sleeping helmet, a Jedi bathrobe and a Viking drinking horn.
Medium meets audience?
Randomly selected winners are being announced via surprise videos directly to the winner within their social timeline or news feed. Winners will also see a request to direct message Axe with their details in order to receive their prize.
Randomly selected winners are being announced via surprise videos directly to the winner within their social timeline or news feed. Winners will also see a request to direct message Axe with their details in order to receive their prize.
The final part of the campaign calls on winners to post photos or videos using their uncool prizes for a chance at winning a cash prize. This sets the stage for a stream of funny, user-generated content.
Axe has been using mobile in a number of creative ways so far this year.
In February, Axe?s Find Your Magic campaign aired on Snapchat through the Men?s Fashion Week Live Story, targeting younger consumers likely to be interested in celebrating individuality (see story).
In January, Axe brand positioned itself as a fixture in men?s grooming habits with a series of 15-second videos offering quick styling tips, borrowing a page from the playbook for beauty brands targeting millennial women (see story).
?Eighteen-to-24-year-old men in South Africa really are a mobile audience,? Mr. Wallace said.
?We focused on fun, humorous content and hitting them where they are with content that is fun and shareable,? he said.
