Axe partners with Martin Garrix on branded music video for Axe Music launch
Unilever's Axe has based its brand on attraction, and its latest foray into branded content finds the body spray brand partnering with a famous DJ for a music video that’s all about boy-meets-girl.
Axe Music launches with Martin Garrix video
With its newly-minted platform Axe Music, the personal care brand looks to further build affinity with young men and their passions. Thus, Axe (also known as Lynx) has partnered with Dutch DJ and producer Martin Garrix. The 22-year-old artist recently released a single, Ocean with Khalid, and he’s headlined several of the world’s biggest music festivals and even performed at the Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony in South Korea.
The partnership is rolling out with the launch of a limited-edition Martin Garrix body spray, which launches today (September 14) in key Latin America markets and The Netherlands. To promote the partnership and the product launch, Axe and Garrix partnered on the DJ’s latest music video Burn Out, which was done in collaboration with the brand and created by Axe’s global creative agency, 72andSunny Amsterdam.
“Music seems a natural extension of the Axe brand. We’re all about attraction and music has the power to bring people together, so we knew we wanted to do more in that space”, said Rik Strubel, Axe’s global vice president. “Martin Garrix is a great example to young guys – he’s achieved so much at such a young age and boasts natural confidence that is so on brand with Axe. We’re super honored that he’s joining Axe Music as our ambassador and we’re looking forward to the amazing things we’ll do together.”
Directed by Kinopravda, Burn Out is multi-hued wonder that places viewers in a universe made of many imaginary worlds where music is the link between them. The script finds a young man going to do his laundry at a late-night laundromat. The average guy seeks to impress a girl also at the laundromat in his own goofy way. By spraying some Axe body spray, he enters a fantasy world where the laundromat is transformed which he enters through a single, magical drum. From serenading at a Tokyo karaoke bar to swinging through the jungle and trying to escape security at a museum at night – the guy searches for the girl in these worlds as they play a game of attraction.
Eventually, they make it back to the original laundromat like nothing has happened. As the guy prepares to leave, we see Garrix, who cameos as a laundromat customer waiting for his clothes to be ready. With a nod of encouragement from Garrix, the guy goes back and approaches the girl as the song comes to an end.
“This is the kind of project every creative dreams of. When your ideas get translated into something new, and you don’t have to follow the usual path. For us, it felt right to announce this partnership through a music video instead of an ad. It allowed us to flex new muscles and to work with one of the youngest, brightest artists out there,” said Adam Koppel and Gregg Clampffer, creative directors at 72andSunny Amsterdam.
“I am very honored to be part of the Axe Music platform roll out. I love the campaigns Axe has done in the past and when we all met in my studio, I felt a great connection, which is super important for me in collaborations like this. I am super happy with the result of the video for my Burn Out,” stated Garrix.
In addition to the music video, Garrix and his new music also feature in Axe’s product films promoting his limited edition body spray. Besides its partnership with Garrix, Axe Music is also partnering with Kyra TV, Boiler Room and a number of emerging artists.
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