Axe ‘The Axe Effect – Lift’

 Axe ‘The Axe Effect – Taxi’

In the age of perpetual doom scrolling, ads on Tiktok and Instagram barely stand a chance. In the constant fight for attention, brands try to compete by going bigger and bigger.

But with no big budget, hotshot influencers or trendy music at our disposal, we decided to go back to a classic that hardly any brands are doing anymore – pure, physical comedy.

Our simple gag is based on a relatable insight – that personal space is hard to protect in public spaces, especially in South Africa. When small spaces like taxis and elevators get crowded, we accept that we have to squash up against each other, but rarely is it actually a pleasant experience.

We used the product intrinsic – that Axe has great fragrances – to turn this insight on its head to comedic effect.
In a feed full of invisible ads, we achieved the near-impossible: we got people to pay attention, and we actually made them laugh.

Client/Brand: Axe

Agency: FCB Africa
Chief Creative Officer: Brett Morris
Executive Creative Director: Jacquie Mullany
Group Head Art Director: Danike De Jager
Group Head Copywriter: Devaksha Vallebjhee
Copywriter: Hamilton Zwane

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