Johannesburg’s key influencers, A-listers and the cool crowd came together on 24 August at Churchills in Melrose Arch to witness the launch of the new Axe campaign ‘Find Your Magic’.
The emcee for the star-studded event was model and actor, Maps Maponyane who was also the face of Axe’s dry spray antiperspirant TV commercial last year. Trend analyst, Dion Chang was tasked with being the keynote speaker for the day.
“As many of you may know, Axe is the largest male deodorant brand in the world,” said Ryan Fauconier, Axe South Africa brand manager.
“It became a powerhouse built on four key pillars including attraction, masculinity, cool and trendy as well as wit.”
Relating the history of the brand and previous campaigns, Fauconier said Axe became famous for pushing boundaries that resonated with their consumers and target market.
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He said theirs was a quirky, tongue-in-cheek advertising style that was not afraid to interfere in politics and played on religion which many steered away from at the time. “We have really been at the forefront of innovation and sometimes try to see how we can push the boundaries,” said the brand manager.
Chang gave insight into the modern man and the new meaning of masculinity and the direction it is taking in the world today. He said the 80s were filled with muscled bodies, metrosexual males emerged in the 90s and today a ‘dad bod’ was well received and celebrated.
“A dad bod is a balance between a beer belly and a worked out body,” said Chang.
“The dad bod says I go to the gym occasionally, but I also drink on weekends and enjoy eating pizza.” The trend analyst said recent research revealed that some women wanted men who were active but also involved in family life. He said women today preferred men who changed nappies, did night feeds and went to work with a bit of baby sick on their shirts.
Fauconier added, “Our consumers have evolved and there has been a major shift in the cultural space and the meaning of masculinity. It’s not about having a six pack anymore, but people are starting to embrace who they are and, along with that, Axe is changing. It’s about charm, charisma, care and commitment, that’s what people find attractive.”
He added that, as Axe, they were especially proud of the new campaign and the spray can that was being launched. “Not only is it a new sleek and sophisticated design, but at the same time it is a much-enhanced product experience for our consumers.”
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