Axe deodorant body spray (Andrea Ippolito)

I chose to report on the product Axe deodorant. Axe is a brand that produces different grooming supplies for men such as deodorant, shampoo, shower gel, and hair gel. The company seems to think that after using their Axe products, something called the "Axe effect" will occur. The commercials for the deodorant give the impression that the "Axe effect" is like a pheromone of some sort where the sent will just draw women in towards the men that use the product. After seeing these commercials I thought it was very good marketing on the part of the Axe brand. They even recently came out with the same type of marketing for their shampoo products. While the deodorant comes in both a stick and spray on form, the deodorant body spray is the product most marketed in the United States.

Axe deodorant can be purchases at most drug stores such as CVS, Walgreens and RiteAid, and also discount retailers such as Target and WalMart. While shopping at various discount retail stores and drug stores, I've found that just about every store carries at least the deodorant body spray in various scents, but the stick deodorant was a bit more difficult to find. Target and WalMart carried the stick deodorant and body spray. The deodorant body spray comes in a 4 ounce aerosol can and comes in five different scents; "Fever", "Recovery", "Instinct", "Shock" and "Dark Temptation". There were definitely no scents of "Spring Rain" or "Powder Fresh" in this manly deodorant line.

The cost of the product at CVS and Walgreens was $4.99. At Target and WalMart it was slightly less, but no cheaper than $4.29.

I chose to blog about the Axe deodorant because I am intrigued at how this product was and is marketed towards men. Recently the commercials have highlighted a motocross professional and a skateboarding professional. In the commercial with the motocross professional, they show him riding up a big ramp and then doing a flip all while performing what Axe calls a "double pits to chesty" which is when the man sprays deodorant in both his arm pits and then across his chest. After he lands, a woman proceeds to go up to him and sniff his armpit. Ewww! I personally would not go up to any man no matter what kind of deodorant he uses and sniff his armpit. Especially after a physically exerting task. Gross!

I find it fascinating how the media markets deodorant to different sexes. Deodorant for men is strong with powerful scents while the deodorant for women is soft, flowery, and "black dress approved". I have only worn a dress once in my adult life and yet I use deodorant that has some how been deemed a good quality deodorant by my non-existent black dress. Interesting. Besides scent, I would not be surprised if most of the main ingredients in deodorants were very similar if not exact in both men's and women's deodorant. Also, it is obvious that the Axe company is marketing their deodorant towards heterosexual men. So does that mean that the Axe deodorant will only attract women to men? What if men want to attract men? Or, should single lesbians try using Axe deodorant body spray if their looking to find women?

I thought others might be interested in this product because deodorant is such a simple, over looked product. Most of us don't put much effort into choosing a deodorant. We usually find one that we like and stick to it (no pun intended).