Axe's Chocolate Man returns in a sweeter avatar
3 min read . Updated: 19 Feb 2020, 12:19 PM IST- The previous ad, immensely popular globally, was withdrawn in the country
- With this campaign, Axe is launching a disruptive new innovation
New Delhi: Almost a decade ago, deodorant brand Axe launched its Chocolate Man ad to promote its irresistibility proposition, amusing and annoying people.
The global ad featured women throwing themselves on a man made of chocolate as he literally goes on giving a piece of himself irked the I&B Ministry. The ad, immensely popular globally, was withdrawn in the country. The Unilever-owned brand has now decided to bring the iconic character back in a more decent and sanitized avatar.
Created by global advertising agency Ponce Buenos Aires, the film opens with a young man spraying Axe Mini Ticket (pocket sized deo) as a voiceover says the deodorant helps you transform into a sweet man literally and figuratively. As he turns into a Chocolate Man, he goes around the town offering pieces of chocolates from his body to women to either appreciate or console them. The objective is to convey the sensitive and caring side of the character. The execution is in sharp contrast with the previous campaign where the character was visibly boisterous, playful and was shown flirting with women.
“The codes of attraction have evolved. Earlier, attraction was depicted in a uni-dimensional way and it was about conquest – a man winning over a woman. Today, attraction is more sophisticated and is all about forming a connection," said Shailendra Singh, general manager – deodorants, Hindustan Unilever Limited.
With this campaign, Axe is launching a disruptive new innovation - Axe Mini Ticket, priced ₹35. The pack is expected to unlock massive penetration for the category. Apart from television and digital, HUL has put up cheeky outdoor campaign across West Bengal, North East, Gujarat and Mumbai strategically placed next to Cadbury Dairy Milk hoardings.
Often synonymous with sexist advertising, male grooming category, dominated by deodorants, is taking baby steps to talk about equality and respect. Axe, which has once relied heavily on ads which made men wildly popular among women often dressed in skimpy clothes, is changing the way it pushes the brand to consumers, adding larger purpose.
In 2018, male grooming brand Brylcreem range, co-created by HUL and Amazon India, urged young men to change their mindset and become more respectful towards others. The campaign featured actor Siddharth Malhotra. In 2016, Emami Ltd-owned deodorant brand ‘HE’ called out various sexist deodorant ads in its campaign featuring comedian Vir Das.
While heavily sexist advertising in the deodorant category is on a decline, brands such as Marico Ltd-owned Set Wet and Vini Cosmetics' Fogg play around light-hearted teasing and wooing of one's love interest.
“The communication challenges faced by brands in the deodorant category are two-fold – one, brands need to stay distinctive in a very cluttered category and two, creating relevance for the category overall since it’s still under-penetrated in India," added HUL’s Singh.
According to Aneesh Jaisinghani, executive creative director at advertising agency Cheil India the old Chocolate Man character had a playful undertone to it which made it more entertaining for the consumer to watch.
“The new Chocolate Man, because it has become 'sweet' now, has lost the edge and the excitement. Although the character of the Chocolate Man is distinctive, in the category, the moment you take away its characteristics, it becomes boring that's what seems to have happened to the new character," he added.
