AXE® Kicks Off the “Summer of Temptation” with New AXE Gold Temptation Line

Campaign committed to helping guys and girls better ‘get’ one another in world of modern dating

(Graphic: Business Wire)

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J.--()--Following the revelation that a surprising 75 percent of guys and 60 percent of girls admit to not understanding what tempts the opposite sex (source: AXE® Omnibus 2014), AXE® the No. 1 men's fragrance brand globally*– launches the “Summer of Temptation” to encourage both guys and girls to open up about what truly tempts them.

Throughout the summer, AXE will spark social conversations about dating, attraction and indulgences on #TemptationTuesday and reveal insights from both sexes on axetemptation.tumblr.com. To start the conversation, AXE partnered exclusively with GQ and Lucky – the authorities on personal style for socially savvy, intelligent men and women – to survey 2,000 guys and girls and uncover the truth behind temptation. Survey findings reveal how style and technology impact today’s modern relationships. Two such insights include:

  • Pick up the phone. Eighty-one percent of girls are more tempted to go out with a guy if he asks her out with a personal phone call vs. a text or email (source: August 2014 issue of Lucky with AXE)
  • Be bold. More than 90 percent of guys say they would love it if girls made the first move and initiated conversation (source: August/September 2014 issue of GQ with AXE)

To dig deeper into the world of temptation, actor Michael B. Jordan – star of “Friday Night Lights,” “Fruitvale Station” and next year’s highly anticipated film, The Fantastic Four has partnered with the brand to conduct and direct a video exploring what guys and girls really find irresistible.

“Temptation is universal and there’s always something you just can’t resist,” said Jordan. “Staying healthy is huge for me, but if bacon’s an option, I’m adding it. And then there’s my sneaker game; if I walk past them, I’m walking out with them. So, I can’t wait to explore what entices other folks throughout the AXE Summer of Temptation – from the quirky to the hilarious and everything in between.”

AXE is also celebrating temptation with the launch of the new AXE® Gold Temptation™ fragrance developed by renowned fragrance expert Ann Gottlieb. New AXE Gold Temptation is the first flanker fragrance in the brand’s 30-year history. It is based off the successful core of AXE® Dark Temptation™, the brand’s top selling fragrance globally. Marrying the richness of amber and spice with citrus, Gold Temptation captures the warmth of gold to complement its addictive predecessor.

“AXE is a brand that listens to consumers and for years, our fans have provided overwhelming feedback on our social channels about their love of Dark Temptation,” said Matthew McCarthy, senior director, AXE & Men’s Grooming for Unilever. “We knew we had something special – a blockbuster – and we wanted to build upon it. With AXE Gold Temptation, we created something unique that perfectly complements AXE Dark Temptation.”

Visit axetemptation.tumblr.com and follow #TemptationTuesday for more information about the new AXE Gold Temptation product line and to learn more about the AXE Summer of Temptation.

About AXE®

AXE®, a leader in men’s care, is an iconic personal care brand around the world that helps guys look, smell and feel their best. The Unilever-manufactured brand is available in a line of bodysprays, deodorant and antiperspirant sticks, shower gels, hair and face care products. AXE® is the No. 1 men’s fragrance*** in the U.S. and globally. AXE® is also the No. 1 grooming brand, excluding shaving hardware*, and achieved this status only seven years after launch. Including bodysprays, AXE® is the largest men’s deodorant brand in the U.S.

The brand’s mission is to help guys get the girl with grooming products that reflect individual personality and lifestyle. For more information, visit www.theaxeeffect.com.

*Source Euromonitor International Limited; Men's deodorants, men's mass &premium fragrance retail value sales combined, 2012; Lynx includes all AXE/Lynx/Ego sales
**Based on a survey conducted Kelton, a leading global insights company, which sampled 1,000 Nationally Representative Americans ages 18-24
***Based on volume of men's grooming products sold (excluding shaving hardware): Total US Market for Men's Grooming Products 52 weeks ending November 23, 2013

About Unilever North America

Unilever is one of the world’s leading suppliers of Food, Home and Personal Care products with sales in more than 190 countries. Working to create a better future every day, we help people feel good, look good and get more out of life. In the United States and Canada, the portfolio includes brand icons such as: Axe, Becel, Ben & Jerry’s, Bertolli, Breyers, Caress, Clear Scalp & Hair Therapy, Consort For Men, Country Crock, Degree, Dove personal care products, Fruttare, Good Humor, Hellmann’s, I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!, Just for Me!, Klondike, Knorr, Lever 2000, Lipton, Magnum, Motions, Nexxus, Noxzema, Pond’s, Popsicle, Promise, Q-tips, Ragu, Simple, Slim-Fast, St. Ives, Suave, TIGI, TONI&GUY Hair Meet Wardrobe, TRESemmé and Vaseline. All of the preceding brand names are trademarks or registered trademarks of the Unilever Group of Companies.

Our ambition is to double the size of our business, while reducing our overall environmental footprint (including sourcing, consumer use and disposal) and increasing our positive social impact. We are committed to helping more than a billion people take action to improve their health and well-being, sourcing all our agricultural raw materials sustainably by 2020, and decoupling our growth from our environmental impact. Supporting our three big goals, we have defined seven pillars, underpinned by targets encompassing social, environmental and economic areas. See more on the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan at http://www.unileverusa.com/sustainable-living/ or http://www.unilever.ca/sustainable-living/.

Unilever employs approximately 11,500 people across North America – generating more than $10 billion in sales in 2013. For more information, visit www.unileverusa.com or www.unilever.ca.

Contacts

Edelman
Elizabeth Harris, 212-277-3759
Elizabeth.harris@edelman.com

Release Summary

Following the revelation that a surprising 75% of guys and 60% of girls admit to not understanding what tempts the opposite sex, AXE® launches the “Summer of Temptation.”

Contacts

Edelman
Elizabeth Harris, 212-277-3759
Elizabeth.harris@edelman.com