Ivan Zacharias of Smuggler directed three spots in this launch campaign for the Axe White Label product line of stick and dry spray deodorant and hairstyle cream. Conceived by BBH NY, the package includes “Pool” in which an elegantly dressed and well-groomed man piques the imagination of a sophisticated woman at an upscale resort.
His dashing good looks and air of confidence have her envisioning him as a spy who’s dealing daily with foreign intrigue. We see her depiction of him as he subdues would-be assailants, throwing a couple of them into the pool. Finally he arrives at her poolside chair. Her eager anticipation is tempered by his handing her a menu. He turns out to be a waiter.
A tagline appears which reads, “How you feel says it all,” as we see the waiter earlier in the day getting ready for work by applying Axe dry spray antiperspirant.
All three spots in the campaign feature a confident, well-groomed man. His use of Axe White Label products gives his demeanor a visceral confidence, inspiring onlookers in the world around him to project images of the exciting career and lifestyle he must lead. Each spot ends with a reveal that he, in fact, is just a resort employee.
Ari Weiss, executive creative director, BBH NY, observed, “If you’ve ever been out to a restaurant in Los Angeles, you’ve seen this moment a million times: someone with confidence walks in the front door and everyone turns and wonders who they are. We figured we’d recreate this phenomenon in more eclectic environments and spend some time enjoying the different archetypes our hotel guests incorrectly imagine our heroes embody.
The work targets a new, more mature male audience than previous Axe campaigns, which is reflected in the ritzy setting and a cast of older, wealthier, more sophisticated women. The three spots–”Pool,” “Hotel” and “Knife”–are currently online; on December 29, the “Hotel” and “Pool” spots will hit TV, and all films, including “Knife,” will be live on the White Label website on January 2.
CreditsClient Axe Agency BBH New York John Patoulis, chief creative officer; Ari Weiss, executive creative director; Dean Woodhouse, Hugo Bierschenk, Reuben Hower, Chuck Tso, creative; Carey Head, head of integrated production; Kate Morrison, head of content production/producer. Production Smuggler Ivan Zacharias, director; Patrick Milling Smith, Brian Carmody, Allison Kunzman, exec producers; Nick Landon, producer; Jan Valecky, DP. Editorial Filip Malasek, editor. VFX/Post The Mill NY Verity Grantham, exec producer; Alex Fitzgerald, producer; Iwan Zwarts, shoot supervisor/2D lead artist; Emily Meger, 3D lead artist; Kshitij Khanna, Ashleigh Anderson, 2D artists; Navdeep Singh, 3D artist; Adam Scott, colorist. Music Woodwork Music Phil Kay, composer; Rachel Wood, Andy Oskwarek, producers. VO record/Mix Sound Lounge Tom Jucarone, mixer. Sound Design Henryboy Bill Chesley, sound designer; Kate Gibson, exec producer.
Director Gia Coppola Teams With Mejuri For “A New York Minute”; 1st Episode Takes Us To The Grocery Store
Mejuri, known for turning fine jewelry into an everyday luxury, has partnered with director Gia Coppola (The Last Show Girl, Palo Alto) and The Directors Bureau in Los Angeles, for the first time reimagining the brand’s story as episodic content. In a series of microfilms, co-created by Coppola and premiering following New York Fashion Week, Mejuri eschewed a typical celebrity campaign and cast us as voyeurs to a group of aspiring young women--real people, not actors--at the crossroads of their adult lives against the backdrop of New York City.
Titled “A New York Minute,” the series features five real-life friends, who include one perfectly imperfect heroine named Emma. The women celebrate ordinary moments and interactions which reveal, sometimes retrospectively, the extraordinary within the mundane. Adjacent to the brand’s own community, the 30-something year old cast includes Laura Love (Emma), Rebecca Ressler, Natalie Vall-Freed and Rozzi Crane. Mejuri’s jewelry makes an appearance as the best supporting actor.
“When I met with Gia and The Directors Bureau team, there was instant creative and personal chemistry and a natural alignment on the desire to push and blur the lines between marketing, storytelling, and the construct of what a ‘campaign’ could be,” said Jacob Jordan, chief brand officer, Mejuri. “Gia was able to push that idea into something that truly feels new and artful, with a realism and relatability that almost feels jarring. Gia was such a perfect collaborator and partner, someone I had complete trust in to be a catalyst for Mejuri’s values of celebrating women as their truest selves. I can’t wait for us to continue to tell the next chapters of this story.”
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