AXE | DISTANCE (Premature Perspiration) | 2011
The awkwardness of sweating too soon / AXE "DISTANCE"
Argentina, 2011. This is from the era when AXE was still going all-in on laughs as a "weapon for getting the girl." The title is "DISTANCE," but the campaign as a whole was called "Premature Perspiration." Just the nuance of that phrase is enough to make you grin.
The insight
What happens if you start sweating too soon? That "we haven't even gotten there yet" kind of awkwardness creates distance between people. AXE has always sold itself on its power to attract women, but underneath that is the anxiety young men feel about not being confident enough—and the brand has always wrapped that anxiety in humor. This campaign is surely an extension of that same approach.
The idea
I couldn't confirm the actual footage or how the story played out. But going by the title "DISTANCE" and the concept of "premature perspiration," I'd guess it depicts that moment when nerves or panic make you sweat, and the closeness between two people suddenly falls apart.
What happened
It won a Gold Lion at Cannes Lions 2011.
Afterthought
Honestly, I couldn't find much detailed information about this ad. But you can definitely sense that bold, go-for-it humor that was so AXE back in 2011. Ponce, the Buenos Aires agency, made a number of humorous campaigns for AXE, so I imagine this piece belongs to that same lineage. If I ever come across the video, I'd love to watch it.
Awards
- Cannes Lions Gold 2011
