Magic moments

US – Mainstream men’s fragrance brand Axe has finally ditched its passé babe-magnet ads with a more modern depiction of diversified male beauty.

• Axe's former tagline, The Axe Effect has been replaced with Find Your Magic
• The ads promote a broad view of what is attractive, reflecting the changing notions around gender and identity that we profiled in Neutral Culture

While not quite cutting edge, Axe’s new ads are funny, and post-feminist even. The former tagline, The Axe Effect, has been replaced by the mystical, individualistic summons to Find Your Magic. Kittens snuggle into a hipster’s brushed-out beard. A guy in a wheelchair spins his girl around, and a queen in heels slutdrops to rapturous cheers.

The campaign brings mainstream deodorant into line with today’s men’s beauty language without departing too far from Axe’s identity as an accessible product from a brand that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Agency 72andSunny Amsterdam created the campaign to launch next week in the US to promote Axe’s new grooming range. PB Creative designed the packaging to go with it, which also aims to appeal to men’s changing style references by being a little more muted with matte bottles in black, white and gold. This update to Axe’s advertising is sharply executed and promotes positive body image in young men, a move we have increasingly seen as masculinity continues to re-evaluated.