According to the Media Literacy Project, Axe Body Spray uses its advertising to appeal to the straight, white, 18-24 year old man, and tries to accomplish this in three ways. First, with humor. The ads feature outrageous situations that would never happen, and so they receive a good laugh by the viewers, whose attention is immediately grasped. Second, with threat. The advertisements instill fear in the consumers by communicating that a “real man” is confident enough in his masculinity to keep his cool. Therefore, if you cannot keep your cool, you are not man enough, and you are almost undeserving of Axe products. By making the products unattainable, they are coveted by the consumers even more. Third, with impossibly beautiful people. An impressively chiseled man is photographed with his brawny arms flung around two gorgeous women, implying that he is planning on going home with both of them. The ads draw a clear association between the body spray and manliness and with getting lucky. Axe practically guarantee that their buyers will be given girls if they wear their products, and in the process will feel like a true man.
True Summary.
Aleman, Paloma. "The Axe Effect." Media Literacy Project. Palate Technology Cooperative, n.d. Web. 21 Oct. 2015.
Annie Stanger
True Summary.
Aleman, Paloma. "The Axe Effect." Media Literacy Project. Palate Technology Cooperative, n.d. Web. 21 Oct. 2015.
Annie Stanger