Unilever’s deodorant brand Ax has evolved over the past ten years from the bro-y, hypersexualized ads making it famous in the 2000s. Now that Gen Z is obsessed with it Y2K nostalgiathe brand nods to its heritage – with a wink.
Ax said Monday it is bringing back three of its “cult favorite” fragrances: Kilo, Touch and Anarchy, for a limited time.
There is one key difference from the Ax cans of old: the company said it has introduced new technology for a more controlled spray. In other words, they are designed so that they do not engulf the entire locker room in a sharp cloud when you press the nozzle.
To support the launch, Ax is rolling out two online video spots. Both show men embracing their female partners. When the boys squirt Ax – lightly – their partners say, “I wish I’d met you sooner,” before the ads reveal the boys’ younger, nerdier selves.
“You’ve gotten better. So have we,” is the slogan.
Data from research firm Morning Consult shows that preference for Ax among US millennial and Gen Z consumers has remained steady and largely positive since it began conducting surveys on the brand in 2022.
So why the marketing push now?
Dolores Assalini, head of Ax US, told Business Insider that the brand hopes to tap into Gen Z’s growing appetite for the Y2K aesthetic and culture.
It’s not the only one. Sister Unilever brand Dove ran a Y2K campaign at the Grammys with a reworked version of the Pussycat Dolls’ 2005 hit “Don’t Cha.” Fashion retailer Gap delved into the archives to revive the ‘long and lean’ denim style of the early 2000s. A summer campaign for PepsiCo’s Bubly sparkling water was a millennial fever dream, starring “One Tree Hill” actor Chad Michael Murray, in The All-American Rejects’ “Dirty Little Secret.”
“We absolutely own our own history,” Assalini said, adding that the brand constantly receives comments on its social media — including from people in their 40s and 50s — asking if it might be bringing back its fragrances from the past.
Ax also collaborates with creators including Melissa Kristin, Jenna Barclay, Kevin Crow and Angie Cocuzza, who post comedy sketches with an early 2000s theme. Refinishing is a common theme.
“We know guys did that. We know we didn’t help. And now we’re changing that,” Assalini said.
