Sunday, October 5, 2008

Easy AXEses



Easy access is usually how the saying is worded, but in this situation and the pun off of the word axe it works to my advantage. Ever since the conception of Axe and Tag body spray advertisements creators of those two products have had some creative yet, far fetched ideas as it pertains to the way they document their product. Taking this commercial into account the main character isn’t what many would classify as the prototype image for a “sexy” man. He appears to be reading the newspaper outside of a coffee shop or something to that degree. He is pale in complexion and has this long straggly hair and gives off body language that he is shy. One would assume on how this commercial should work is this guy needs to be well fit, fake baked from tanning and dressing in all designer clothes, that isn’t the case for this advertisement. However that’s why it seems easier to relate to this commercial, because not everybody can look as good as David Beckham.

In addition to the main male character in this piece, the female counterparts resemble the exact opposite in every category. The first one we see is dressed higher class, designer sunglasses and purse (I am assuming), all the accessories from head to toe and her hair flows in the breeze like some sort of super model. Looking past the catchy song and before considering the effects of the product this is advertising the atmosphere it feels like somewhat of an ordinary day to me anyways. By that I mean I’ve many times found myself sitting at work on a slow day reading the paper and looked off to notice females looking pretty and I’d find myself wondering how one can “woo” over a girl like that.


As the progression goes this male character continues to go about his day from the coffee shop to his apartment, on a bus then to the supermarket and seeing lovely women in the adventure. Wow that’s interesting how I rambled about all of that and haven’t even mention anything about the product that is being advertised and the “power” it has to resolve this conflict and make our male shlub (yes I said shlub) into an icon.

I realized I mentioned that the main male character sees these beautiful women as they walk by, however he sees them very differently than anyone would to their natural naked eye oops there was another bad pun. Anyway when he is scoping out these women he sees them in their under garments and each stop he makes at the coffee shop, his apartment alley, the bus and at last at the supermarket. It isn’t until the supermarket scene that the product is introduced we see the last woman pass him by in some leopard print lingerie(RAWRRR!!) and he sprays in one circular motion to cover him with the passionate scent and the common trend before this one the girls would just look past and now as she walks by, she looks back and looks at him and she can see him in nothing but a zebra like banana hammock and it is his hair flowing in the artificial wind. She raises an eyebrow possibly suggesting something sexual. This advertisement ends with the saying “Don’t let opportunity pass you by” by breaking that saying down its clear in its message in that even if you’re not the sexiest man on earth with a spray of axe even you have the ability be with any girl you want.

Maybe I need to start wearing axe more……..


2 comments:

marlena said...

YES TONY, maybe you should start wearing more axe to point where we can smell you outside of lids! Great job on the blog, it was quite humerous.

Maybe i should start wearing AXE also!

Vill said...

Tony I want to imagine you half naked.






Not.