And then, in 2002, Axe arrived. A body spray meant to split the difference between deodorant and cologne, Axe bulldozed the senses with a fragrance so strong it seemed to precede the bodies it clung to — like Febreze, or a bad reputation. Almost 20 years later, it hasn’t managed to shake its association with the scent of middle school.
— Read more in The pungent legacy of Axe Body Spray: For a generation of teens, the fragrance and its iconic ads upheld a bygone image of masculinity at Vox.
Oh Robin, this made my husband & me chuckle! We have something similar in the UK called Lynx – it’s a lot tamer (pardon the pun) than it used to be, in fact my husband who will be 60 next month is late to this particular party. Way back when however, any schoolboy who was in thrall to his first bottle of Lynx deodorant/body spray would have everyone on the bus on in the train carriage racing to open the windows!!
Glad it made you laugh!
The article is really interesting — it’s part of a series they’ve done on gender.
Just read the article – highly entertaining! it mentions that for legal reasons, Axe is called Lynx in the UK & elsewhere – that explains a lot!
I have a 14 yr old son. 8th grade. Has PE as an elective. He’s 5’11” and still growing…..the testosterone is flowing big time. I love that boy, but sweet fancy Moses he STANKS sometimes! LOL
I prefer Axe over his natural “funk” when he gets in the car every afternoon. Whenever we stop by Walgreens or wherever, I will always agree to buy a body spray for the boy. 48 hour deodorant? Adidas after shave? Throw it in the buggy my son!
That being said, I’ve turned him on to the Guess and Calvin Klein body mists, and he takes those to school….and shares with everyone in the locker room. It’s costing a bit more but I’m ok with it for the foreseeable future!
Yes…the author says “the brand’s power user was a 13-year-old boy with a mom who humored him” but I suspect the author does not have a 13 year old boy on the premises