AXE “EXCITE” | Excite - Even Angels Will Fall | 2012
Making the Biggest Claim Possible: Bringing Down Angels / AXE "Even Angels Will Fall"
An angel descends from the sky. Beautiful angels in white robes and halos walk through a small town, and in front of one man, they smash their halos. "AXE can make even angels fall." This is the work that won the Grand Prix in the Creative Effectiveness category at Cannes Lions in 2012.
The problem
For 18 years, AXE had built its message around "the power to attract women," but around 2010 the brand was struggling. In the UK, sales dropped by 8.1 million pounds, and Sure took over the top spot in the market. Young men had simply stopped responding to the brand.
The insight
BBH London realized that what men actually wanted wasn't a sexy girl, but an "angel" — not someone to conquer, but a symbol to aspire to. Because the angel is a universally understood symbol, the idea could be delivered with the same impact across all 100 markets.
The idea
The director was Rupert Sanders. Angels descend on a small town in Croatia, and one by one, they smash their halos in front of a man who uses AXE. The soundtrack was a cover of Air's "Sexy Boy" performed by a 35-woman choir. Beyond the film, the campaign also included outdoor advertising and an event at a London train station.
What happened
This idea was rolled out across 100 markets, and sales volume increased by more than 4%. It won the Grand Prix in the Creative Effectiveness category at Cannes, and BBH London was also named Campaign magazine's Agency of the Year that year.
Afterthought
An 18-year-old brand message got rewritten in a single moment — the instant an angel falls. In that one violent, beautiful strike of a halo being smashed, you get the whole idea of temptation as something you can't take back. It just feels good to see creativity actually move a business like this.
Awards
- Cannes Lions Grand Prix 2012
