The Axe Effect

The Axe Effect 

The Axe effect is highly effective in American pop culture, and it's not because of the product itself. Axe does a tremendous job at selling their products by advertising in a way so desirable to their audience, whether they consciously know it or not. Everyone knows that sex sells, but where is the line in marketing? In signs of life, the authors explain these clever marketing tactics, saying “Advertisers may shape consumer fantasies, but they need raw material to work with, the subconscious dreams and desires of the marketplace. As long as these desires remain unconscious, advertisers will be able to exploit them. But by bringing the fantasies to the surface, you can free yourself from advertisements often hypnotic grasp.” The commonly recognized idiom chosen by Axe for this ad play on exactly that. It is a derogatory saying in reference to women and the women rights movements. Usually, this is expressed by a man and not females. Although, this advertisement looks like the sororities sisters are having 'girl talk,' I can assure no girl talks about her body this way. Don't be tricked into consumerism!

Maasik, Sonia, and Jack Solomon. Signs of Life in the U.S.A.: Readings on Popular Culture for Writers. Bedford/St. Martins, 2015.
Singer, Natasha. “Making Ads That Whisper to the Brain.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 13 Nov. 2010, www.nytimes.com/2010/11/14/business/14stream.html.
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