AXE rebrands globally to resonate with Gen-Z

Unilever-owned male grooming brand AXE has worked with creative agency PB creative to move the brand to a more vibrant and expressive design as it continues to engage with its core GEN-Z audience.

The fresh and expressive visual code, with its inspiration firmly rooted in street art, is the culmination of an innovation pipiline of limited edition fragrance collissions including the the brand spin-off LYNX Africa x Marmite range, which embraced a more expressive aesthetic. After generating a strong appeal with ‘Lynx guys,’ this new aesthetic presented the agency with an opportunity to transcend the master brand into a much more vibrant and progressive territory.

PB Creative curated a back story for each of the brand’s fragrances, before briefing renowned street artist Ben Tallon to bring their vision to life as a range of graffiti inspired illustrations.

“ ‘Expression’ is the future for AXE that will re-define what the brand stands for. This is the beginning of an exciting journey which will see the brand engage with consumers on a higher level through increasingly compelling and desirable AXE brand expressions,” says Ben Lambert, co-founder and creative partner at PB Creative.

The new identity is more credibly edgy and on trend as the brand continues to engage and resonate with its core Gen-Z customers.

“The graffiti led approach feels more ‘street’ with massive opportunities for exciting, brandworld activations.  The brand is now very much where we want and need it to be – characterful, with a ‘cult-like’ edge,” says Marco Montanaro, senior brand manager at Unilever.