In the past, AXE pitched that that confidence comes from being attractive. But that wasn’t attracting the mid-puberty guys who make up their core audience to come into stores and buy their products. Beyond that, finding yourself attractive can be tough at the best of times, and we can all agree that puberty is not the best of times. So we found a better source of confidence for AXE to hype: friendship.
In a one-week sprint, I developed the concept, designed the experience and website, and created the 3D mockups. Made with Sabelle Chambers, Ryan King, Alyssa Moreno, Will Russell, and Vanessa Tu.
We wanted to show young guys that confidence has its own rewards. So, we dared them to go out of their comfort zone in the name of epic prizes.
AXE posts a series of confidence-building dares on a dedicated microsite, encouraging fans to compete for a chance to win exclusive prizes like Hot Ones-style chip-tasting with Yeat, a signed Rick Owens hoodie, or WWE ringside tickets.
Guys build their confidence by performing and recording the dare on video. They submit their proof using a unique code found on physical limited edition cans of AXE products. It’s simple: Get a fresh can of AXE, scan the code, get dared, do the dare, submit proof, win a prize (maybe).
The can stickers are simple peel-off stickers, similar to what McDonalds used for their Monopoly sweepstakes. Each sticker has a unique string and QR code.
A microsite integrated with AXE.com has a prominent call to action for the can code, which is auto-filled if the QR code has been scanned. A hype ticker drops recent wins, messages from AXE and influencers, and other fun. The current dares are highlighted, along with a countdown timer.
