• The New York Times, Monday, January 9, 2012 10 AM

Heretofore, Axe has been for men. Now, the Unilever deodorant brand is introducing a fragrance for women called Anarchy. A new commercial depicts a scene of mayhem, with a chain of events including a car pileup. During the spot, strangers lock eyes and, oblivious to the commotion, walk hungrily toward one another, then freeze at about an arm’s length, nostrils flaring and chests heaving, not breaking the sexual tension with contact.

“Unleash the chaos,” says screen text at the close of the commercial, as a young man and woman spray their torsos. “New Axe Anarchy for him and for her.” The campaign, via Bartle Bogle Hegarty, London, includes print, digital and even a serialized graphic novel. The first of two commercials will appear on Axe’s Facebook page Tuesday, and both are scheduled to begin running widely on television in the U.S. on Jan. 29, and afterward in more than 60 other countries. The graphic novel, on YouTube and Facebook, is a partnership with Aspen Comics, with new sequences to be uploaded every few days. Plot turns are based partly on consumers’ suggestions and votes, and with some fans being depicted in the comic.

Read the whole story at The New York Times »