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Axe, or Lynx, is a brand of male grooming products, owned by the British/Dutch company Unilever.
History
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Axe was launched in France in 1983 by Unilever. It was inspired by another of Unilever's brands, Impulse.
Unilever were keen to capitalize on Axe's French success and the rest of Europe from 1985 onwards, later introducing the other products in the range. Unilever were unable to use the name Axe in the United Kingdom and Ireland due to trademark problems so it was launched as Lynx.
The European launch of the deodorant was followed by success in Latin America and moderate impact in Asia and Africa. In the new millennium, the brand has launched with great success in the United States and Canada. The company has also consolidated its deodorant portfolio by migrating other overlapping male deodorants into the Axe brand such as South Africa's Ego brand.
Marketing
From 2003, Axe advertisements portrayed various ways the products supposedly helped men attract women. In 2004, the advertising for the Pulse fragrance showed how it supposedly gave geeky men the confidence to dance to get women. This was followed by Touch, Unlimited, Clix, and in 2007, Vice was marketed on a theme of making "nice" women become "naughty".
PR controversies
Adverse publicity has been generated by the product's advertisements for encouraging sexual promiscuity and sexism. The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood claimed that Bartle Bogle Hegarty's work on Axe "epitomizes the sexist and degrading marketing that can undermine girls' healthy development."
On January 12, 2008 a 12 year old boy in Derbyshire, England died in a hospital five days after collapsing at his home. The medical coroner ruled that he had suffered from cardiac arrhythmia and died from heart failure as a result of spraying large amounts of Lynx in a confined space.Videos on social networking sites depicted teens lighting themselves on fire. The trend resulted in multiple injuries. In response to the possible safety concerns, the company created two ads, one against the use of Axe as an inhalant, and the other warning of its flammability
Products
Although Axe's lead product is the fragranced aerosol deodorant body spray, other formats of the brand exist. Within underarm care the following are available: deodorant aerosol body spray, deodorant stick, deodorant roll-on, anti-perspirant aerosol spray (called Axe Dry), and anti-perspirant stick (also called Axe Dry).
From its launch, the yearly fragrance variant has played a key part in the success of the brand by offering something new each year. The type of fragrance variants have evolved over time. From 1983 until about 1989, the variant names were descriptions of the fragrances and included Musk, Spice, Amber, Marine, and Oriental.
From 1990 until 1996, geographic names for fragrances were used, such as Africa, Alaska, Java, Nevada, and Inca. From 1996 to 2002, Axe took inspiration from Calvin Klein fragrances (also owned by Unilever at that time), using the same perfumer, Anne Gottlieb, to develop the fragrances to launch variants, such as Dimension, Apollo, Dark Temptation, Gravity, and Phoenix.
In 2009, the brand launched an 8-centimeter container called the Axe Bullet. The brand has also extended into other areas such as shower gels, aftershaves, and colognes, skin care, shampoo, and hairstyling products. Failed extensions include Barbershop and razors.
Most scent names usually have a shower gel to companion them and sometimes an antiperspirant/deodorant stick.
The 2009 frame has a mint scent.
The Axe Shampoos come in two different sizes, the regular and most seen 12 fl oz size and the travel or sample size of 1.7 fl oz that has a different top, 22oz bottles were introduced recently.
Axe also ships a shower scrub tool called the Axe Detailer. An infomercial available on YouTube advertises that the Axe Detailer can "clean your balls" and make them "more fun to play with," and suggests calling 1-877-3AXE-BALL to get a free Axe Detailer.
List of Axe & Lynx deodorants
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Axe's list of yearly body-spray variants is as follows. Limited edition or short-lived variants are listed in a following table.
| Year | Variant Name | Description | Notes | Year of Discontinue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Amber, Musk, Spice | Variant name is a description of fragrance. | The first three variants that Axe launched, first in France. Discontinued apart from Musk. | - |
| 1985 | Amber, Musk (Moschus in Germany), Spice | Variant name is a description of fragrance. | In this year, these three variants were used to launch the brand in the UK. Musk is still available in Argentina, Brazil, France, and Germany | Possibly late 90s |
| 1987 | Oriental | Variant name is a description of fragrance. | This was the first "new" variant that Axe launched and started a strategy of a yearly new variants. Discontinued | Possibly late 90s |
| 1989 | Marine | Variant name is a description of fragrance. | Still available in the Netherlands, Austria, France, Belgium, Spain, Argentina, and Brazil. | Possibly late 90s |
| 1990 | Tempest | Discontinued | Possibly late 90s | |
| 1991 | Mirage | Discontinued | Possibly late 90s | |
| 1992 | Nevada | Variant named after the state in the United States. | Discontinued | Possibly 2002 |
| 1993 | Java | Variant named after the island in Indonesia. | Discontinued | Possibly 2002 |
| 1994 | Alaska | Variant named after the state in the United States. | Discontinued - still available in Germany | Possibly 2002 |
| 1995 | Africa or African Amber or Native | Variant named after the continent. | The most popular variant of Axe, marketed as Kilo in North America and Native in Brazil. Africa is the most popular variant in the UK and still is for 14 years. | Present |
| 1996 | Inca | A warm spicy fragrance named after the Inca civilization. | Discontinued | 2002 |
| 1997 | Atlantis | Still available in some countries | 2004 | |
| 1998 | Apollo | Discontinued | 2004 | |
| 1999 | Voodoo | Limited edition version released in the UK to cover the "Voodoo Eclipse" Dance Event marking the solar eclipse in 1999. | Present | |
| 1999 | Hypnotic | The commercial asked if you believe in hypnosis, which was the effect of this axe scent. | 2008 | |
| 2000 | Phoenix | Limited edition version released to cover the "Phoenix Legends" Dance Event in Ibiza, Spain in 2000. | Present | |
| 2000 | Adrenalin or Accelerate or Orion | Not available as a shower gel. | Still available in some countries. | Present |
| 2001 | Gravity | The advertising featured a man falling to Earth. | Present | |
| 2002 | Dimension | Also called Enygmata in some countries. | Present | |
| 2002 | Apollo, Kilo, Phoenix, Tsunami, Voodoo | Axe launched in U.S. | This is the line up that Axe launched with in U.S. | n/a |
| 2003 | Pulse | A European variant suggests that it gives geeks added confidence so they can pull off crazy dance moves to impress girls and be irresistible. | Used the "Make Luv" dance track which reached number 1 in UK. Still available in some countries. | 2008 |
| 2003 | Essence or Fusion | A US variant | Used TV advertising that showed two sides to a man's relationship with women, also called Fusion in some countries. | Present |
| 2003 | Conviction | Join the world of conviction. Join the world of conquest. Because if you have conviction, no woman can say no. No woman who can turn her face. Because women like men safe. Unite to this world. | Used TV advertising that showed many men who are successful with women. At the end of the advertising there are thousands of men holding Axe Conviction and singing in a choir by a statue of a man also holding Axe Conviction. | Present |
| 2004 | Denim | Released as shaving cream, deodorant and one of the few aftershaves. | 2008 | |
| 2004 | Touch | A red blood color. | The TV advert features women getting more and more turned on | Present, 2008 (UK) |
| 2005 | Unlimited | A light blue color. | Mimics the Chinese kung fu film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. | 2007 |
| 2006 | Click or Clix | Also called score in some countries. | This variant is portrayed as making men so attractive to women they will need a clicker to keep score of the number of women who check them out. Uses Nick Lachey in the advertising who is out-scored by a hotel worker who wears Clix. Axe gave away free clickers to promote the scent. The Lynx version uses Ben Affleck in the advertising instead of Nick Lachey. | Present |
| 2007 | Vice | Advertising implies that it will turn "nice girls naughty" thanks to the forbidden fruits in the fragrance. The Latin phrase virgo in flagrante delicto is printed in mirrored text on the spray, body wash, and deodorant stick. | Uses a Morgan Freeman look-a-like in the advertising that mimics the style of a crime film. Still available in some countries. | 2010 |
| 2008 | Dark Temptation | A chocolate-smelling fragrance; advertising implies that because women like chocolate, they will find men who smell of chocolate irresistible | Advertising features a man who turns into chocolate when he sprays himself with Axe. He then goes on to be eaten by a series of women. | Present |
| 2009 | Instinct | The scent includes cardamom, amber, and atlas cedar to produce a spicy scent of leather. | The advertising campaign features a caveman who sprays the fragrance on himself and becomes irresistible to women. The tag line is "No one can resist a man in leather." | Present |
| 2009 | Wild Spice or Africa Duo | Spice fragrance. | Not available as a shower gel yet. | Present |
| 2010 | Twist or Shift | Has a Citrus scent. | Spelled with a backwards S. | Present |
| 2010 | Polar | Has a Mint and Citrus scent. | Spelled with a backwards R. | Not Available Yet. |
Axe Limited Edition chronology
Axe also launches limited edition variants from time to time that may be on sale for a few months or over a year.
| Year | Limited Edition Name | Description | Notes | Year of Discontinue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Millennium or Zero | 2006 | ||
| 2004(?) | Relapse | 2008 | ||
| 2005 | Ready | Long lasting effect makes you always ready for "action", blue colored can. | Clearly states it's a very limited edition, came out with the willing scent. | 2008 |
| 2005 | Willing | Long lasting effect makes you always willing for "adventure", green colored can. | Clearly states it's a very limited edition, came out with the ready scent. | 2008 |
| 2006 | Air | Light fresh fragrance. | Available as a shower gel too. Still available in some stores. | Present |
| 2006 | Below 0 or Get Fresh | Cold and fresh fragrance. | Advertising shows a girl kissing a boy and the mouth of the girl get freezed. Also available as a shower gel. Still available in some stores. | Present |
| 2007 | 3 | A pack of two cans of Axe. One is called 1, the other is called 2. Both should be sprayed together to make a new smell. | 2009 | |
| 2008 | Recovery or Recover or Anti-Hangover | Citrus scent | One of the three scents released by Axe under limited edition status. Based on a shower gel and comes in shower gel and body spray form. Released in U.S. in 2009. | Present |
| 2008 | Shock | Ice mint scent | One of the three scents released by Axe under limited edition status. Based on a shower gel and comes in shower gel and body spray form. Released in U.S. in 2009. | Present |
| 2009 | Fever or Hot Fever | A fragrance infused with Brazilian hot mud and red dragon fruit extract. | One of the three scents released by Axe under limited edition status. Comes in shower gel and body spray form. Released in U.S. in 2009. | Present |
| 2008 | DRY Sharp Focus | An anti-perspirant, not available as deodorant body-spray. Only available as anti-perspirant body spray, deodorant stick, and roll-on. Fresh mint scent. | Advertising features a man that stays focused when he sprays himself with Axe. Is only available in DRY, not normal. | Present |
| 2008 | Jet | Sweet and fresh fragrance. Not available as a shower gel. Still available in some stores. | In the advertising is shown fake flying company with very sexy stewardesses. | 2008 |
| 2008 | Day and Night | An deodorant to use for the day, and the other for the night. | Advertising says that one is suitable for everyday, the other is not. | Present |
| 2008 | Boost or Ignite | Warm Guava Scent. | Based on a shower gel. | Present |
| 2009 | Heat | Warm Citrus Scent. | Available in Shampoo only. This Limited Edition Shampoo + Conditioner came out with Freeze anti-itch shampoo. The scent seems to rival the Fever body wash and body spray line of products. | Winter 2009 |
| 2009 | Proximity sub-label: Amber, Bergamot, and Vetiver | Three scents under the Proximity name. Lighter, more sophisticated fragrances targeted at less juvenile men. Sold at a higher price than regular Axe range. Comes in body spray only. | Present | |
| 2009 | Summer | Is a light variant, light and sweet lime fragrance. | Limited Edition, called "Best Of Summer" in Australia | Fall/Autumn 2009 |
| 2009 | Music Star | Available in South America now | Not available as a shower gel | Present |
| 2010 | Rise or Rise Up | With Lime Extract | Also available as a shower gel | Present |
| 2010 | DRY+ Sensitive | Anti-Perspirant designed for sensitive skin. | Only available as an anti-perspirant and roll-on. | Present |
Axe Shower Gels
| Year | Name | Description | Notes | Year of Discontinue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Shower Shake:Speed and Contact | Shower gel that contained both a shower gel and a moisturiser | Speed: Present
Contact: 2006 | |
| 2003 | Pulse | Suggests that it gives geeks added confidence so they can pull off crazy dance moves to impress girls and be irresistible. | Still available in some countries. | 2008 |
| 2004 | Recover or Anti-Hangover or After Hours | Citrus Scent | Also available as body spray. | Present |
| 2004 | Skin Contact:Sensitive, Hydrating, Purifying, Smoothing and Revitalizing | Smooths Skin | Sensitive is a newer version, with revitalizing being the newest. | Present |
| 2004 | Groove or Night Attack | Guarana scent with light musk and power beads. | Present(UK:2007) | |
| 2005 | Re-Load | A blue coloured shower gel. | Present (UK:2007) | |
| 2006 | Boost or Ignite | Warm Guava Scent | A red coloured shower gel, also available as body spray. | Present (UK:2010) |
| 2006 | Thai Massage | A shower gel described as containing Bali Sea Salt and Tiger Balm | Present | |
| 2007 | Shock | Icy Mint Scent | Also available as deodorant. | Present |
| 2008 | Snake Peel or Skin Resurrection | A mix of cactus oil and desert minerals. | Present(UK:2009) | |
| 2009 | Hot Fever or Fever | A fragrance infused with Brazilian hot mud and red dragon fruit extract | It was promoted largely at T4 on the beach on the 19th July 9 which had the guy from the advert dance on stage with his dancers. The advert has got the slogan "Muchas Maracas", Maracas and the shower gel were given away during T4 to promote. Released in U.S. in 2009.
Also available as deodorant. |
Present |
| 2010 | Rise or Rise Up | With Lime Extract | Also available as deodorant. | Present |
Axe Shampoos
| Year | Name | Description | Notes | Year of Discontinue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Constrict or Clean & Control | Shampoo that de-poofs your hair. | Part of the Axe hair crisis relief products. | Present |
| 2008 | Dual or 2 in 1 | Shampoo and conditioner. | Part of the Axe hair crisis relief products. | Present |
| 2008 | Intense or Deep Clean | Removes product build-up and scrubs your hair. | Part of the Axe hair crisis relief products. | Present |
| 2008 | Armor or Anti-Dandruff | Removes dandruff from hair. | Part of the Axe hair crisis relief products. | Present |
| 2008 | Primed or Just Clean | Just shampoo. | Part of the Axe hair crisis relief products. | Present |
| 2008 | Lure or Just Soft | Just conditioner. | Part of the Axe hair crisis relief products. | Present |
| 2009 | Freeze or Itch Relief | Soothes the itch and gets rid of flakes. | Part of the Axe hair crisis relief products. This shampoo seems to follow the Shock line of products. | Present |
| 2009 | Heat | 2 in 1 shampoo + conditioner. Warm citrus scent. | Part of the Axe hair crisis relief products. This shampoo has been marketed under Limited Edition status! This shampoo seems to follow the Fever line of products. | Winter 2009 |
Axe Hair Stylers
| Year | Name | Description | Notes | Year of Discontinue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Charged or Spiked-Up Look | Spikes up your hair. | Part of the Axe hair crisis relief products. | Present |
| 2008 | Laid Back or Shaggy Look | Gives you an easy looking hair. | Part of the Axe hair crisis relief products. | Present |
| 2008 | Whatever or Messy Look | Gives you a messy look. | Part of the Axe hair crisis relief products. | Present |
| 2008 | Refined or Clean-Cut Look | Gives you a clean cut, polished looking hair. | Part of the Axe hair crisis relief products. | Present |
| 2009 | Sleek or Smooth & Sophisticated | Provides extra shine and control so that you can get sophisticated hair. | Part of the Axe hair crisis relief products. | Present |
References
- ^ "Children Of The Web". Businessweek.com. 2007-07-02. Retrieved 2009-05-09.
- ^ "New Lynx fragrance set to deliver 'Unlimited' sales". Unilever.co.uk. Retrieved 2009-05-09.
- ^ "Lynx- Click". Unilever.co.uk. Retrieved 2009-05-09.
- Harris, Paul (2006-07-09). "The Menaissance | World news | ''The Observer''". London: Guardian. Retrieved 2009-05-09.
- "Boy, 12, Died After Spraying Deodorant: Lynx Aerosol Triggered Heart Condition In Daniel Hurley | UK News | Sky News". News.sky.com. Retrieved 2009-05-09.
- Andy Dolan. "Boy, 12, collapsed and died after 'using too much Lynx deodorant' | Mail Online". Dailymail.co.uk. Retrieved 2009-05-09.
- "CTV Edmonton - Teen burned in popular body spray stunt - Canadian Television". Toronto.ctv.ca. Retrieved 2010-01-27.
- "Responsible Use". The Axe Effect. Retrieved 2010-01-27.
- "Lynx unveils pocket-sized aerosol | Packs and Closures". packagingnews.co.uk. 2008-12-11. Retrieved 2009-05-09.
- Haig, Matt (2003). Brand Failures. Kogan Page. p. 111. ISBN 0749439270. Retrieved 2009-04-02.
- "Axe Amber / Lynx Amber by Axe / Lynx (1983)". Basenotes.net. Retrieved 2009-05-09.
- "Axe Musk / Lynx Musk by Axe / Lynx (1983)". Basenotes.net. Retrieved 2009-05-09.
- "Axe Spice / Lynx Spice by Axe / Lynx (1983)". Basenotes.net. Retrieved 2009-05-09.
- "Lynx Orient / Axe Orient by Axe / Lynx (1987)". Basenotes.net. Retrieved 2009-05-09.
- "Axe Marine / Lynx Marine by Axe / Lynx (1989)". Basenotes.net. 2007-12-08. Retrieved 2009-05-09.
- "Axe Tempest by Axe / Lynx (1990)". Basenotes.net. Retrieved 2010-01-27.
- "Axe Mirage / Lynx Mirage by Axe / Lynx". Basenotes.net. Retrieved 2010-01-27.
- "Axe Nevada / Lynx Nevada by Axe / Lynx (1992)". Basenotes.net. Retrieved 2010-01-27.
- "Axe Java / Lynx Java by Axe / Lynx". Basenotes.net. 2009-06-13. Retrieved 2010-01-27.
- "Axe Alaska / Lynx Alaska by Axe / Lynx (1994)". Basenotes.net. Retrieved 2010-01-27.
- "Axe Africa / Lynx Africa by Axe / Lynx (1995)". Basenotes.net. Retrieved 2010-01-27.
- "Axe Inca / Lynx Inca by Axe / Lynx". Basenotes.net. Retrieved 2010-01-27.
- "Axe Atlantis / Lynx Atlantis by Axe / Lynx". Basenotes.net. 2009-06-13. Retrieved 2010-01-27.
- "Axe Apollo / Lynx Apollo by Axe / Lynx". Basenotes.net. Retrieved 2009-05-09.
- "Axe Voodoo / Lynx Voodoo by Axe / Lynx (1999)". Basenotes.net. Retrieved 2009-05-09.
- "GATEWAY".
- "Axe Phoenix / Lynx Phoenix by Axe / Lynx (2000)". Basenotes.net. Retrieved 2009-05-09.
- "Axe Gravity / Lynx Gravity by Axe / Lynx (2001)". Basenotes.net. Retrieved 2009-05-09.
- "Lynx Dimension by Axe / Lynx (2002)". Basenotes.net. 2006-10-16. Retrieved 2009-05-09.
- Axe Touch
- Post to: (2007-09-30). "Chocolate deodorant to lure girls". Sundaymirror.co.uk. Retrieved 2010-01-27.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link) - ^ "Product page".
- "Shower power!".
- "AXE Smooth & Sophisticated Look Shine Pomade".
