AXE Peace

Campaign: AXE Peace
Company: Unilever’s AXE brand
Nonprofit Partner: Peace One Day
Launch Date:  January 15, 2014

The Campaign: 

For its second Super Bowl commercial appearance, Unilever’s AXE brand is rolling out a new product line and message-focused cause initiative called AXE Peace. A 30-second spot (see below) displays somber war vignettes punctuated with unexpected love scenes with a “make love, not war” theme. Text at the very end of the spot mentions Peace One Day, a nonprofit whose efforts include establishing Sept. 21 as Peace Day and to whom the brand has donated $250,000. Via a #KissForPeace hashtag, the brand encourages consumers to take a photo of a kiss, tag it with #KissForPeace, and share it online via their social networks that will be displayed on a Times Square Billboard from Jan. 27- Feb. 9 and featured at AXEPeace.com starting on Feb. 10.

Our Take:

Unilever continues its global push toward “increasing positive social impact” and makes a bold statement by incorporating a more serious cause message into the AXE SuperBowl spot. The positives: awareness for Peace One Day will undoubtedly skyrocket with a Super Bowl presence. The potential for a social media-fueled peace meme exists, particularly with the prospect of your photo being shown in Times Square. The challenges: aligning with a message like “world peace” is laudable but unfortunately nebulous. Will this effort and related product line compel fans to take action and learn more or scratch their heads? What’s your take on this message-focused Super Bowl ad? We’d love to hear your opinions or insights in the comments below.