Axe: LYNX FOR LADIES - LAUNCH OF LYNX ATTRACT

Credits & Description:

Category: Consumer Goods, including FMCG and Household Products

Advertiser: LYNX / AXE

Product/Service: DEODORANT

Agency: MISCHIEF PR

Associate Director: Gavin Lewis (Mischief PR)

Account Director: Seb Dilleyston (Mischief PR)

Account Manager: Matt Pynn (Mischief PR)

Account Executive: Chloe Luper (Mischief PR)

Account Executive: Fiona Bruce (Mischief PR)

Assistant Account Executive: Clive Drew (Mischief PR)

Assistant Account Executive: Leanne Bertolone (Mischief PR)

Media placement: Digital PR Seeding - Cosmopolitan, Glamour, IAmFabulicious, The Chap Etc - 16 January 2012

Media placement: Consumer PR Announcement - RWD, The Sun, Daily Mail, The Times, Evening Standard Etc - 23 January 2012

Media placement: Experiential PR Launches - Observer, The Sun, Daily Mirror, Daily Star, Huffington Post, MSN, OK, Daily Mail Live Etc - 7 February 2012

Media placement: Consumer PR News Generation - The Sun, More, Love It, Daily Mail, Daily Express, Daily Record, The Scotsman Etc - 14 February 2012



Summary of the Campaign

In January 2012 Lynx, a brand famous for helping men in the mating game, decided they wanted to announce a brave direction. For the first time in its 26-year history, Lynx wanted to unveil a product not just ‘for him’ but also ‘for her’. Lynx Attract was born.



Our objective was to get women and men to purchase a product from a brand synonymous with men. Our challenge was to talk to women while not alienating the core audience. Lynx still needed to belong to men.



The key to the campaign was to facilitate real intrigue and provide media channels and consumers with assets that explained the product benefits in an interesting way.



To support this historic brand moment we created a ‘black market’, seeding the idea that a ‘for her’ variant might exist. Greater intrigue and excitement was built through key blogger relation-tactics to show the potential effects of the ‘Lynx Effect’ for both sexes. We then launched, via retailer executions, the product and the idea of ‘attraction chaos’, further illustrated by huge public displays of affection and the sponsorship of the panda mating season at Edinburgh Zoo.



So far the campaign has resulted in over 30 pieces of National print coverage, over 300 online pieces, more than 600,000 views of attraction chaos content and 157,393 new facebook fans.



In the period when PR led the communications Attract ‘For Her’ was selling 3 units every minute in Superdrug. Attract is now the fastest selling variant in the brands history.



The Situation

Lynx has always been a tool for men to get ahead in the mating game. After 26 years of exclusively giving men the ‘Lynx Effect’ we had an opportunity to launch Lynx’s first ever female variant.



In order to not alienate guys, girls or the media we had to establish a reason for being that would convince all stakeholders that Lynx should enter a new market.



The concept of unleashing attraction for both sexes was used to glue the story together. The PR needed to communicate and illustrate the outpouring of attraction that a fragrance for both sexes could inspire.



The Goal

Communicate that Lynx for a limited period will revolutionise the mating game; the product gives both guys and girls a better chance at attracting the opposite sex.



To stimulate demand and build momentum we initiated rumours suggesting the improbable product could exist. The media and consumers needed to question the products’ existence and how to get hold of it.



On launch we needed to execute a raft of brand moments that reflected the

importance of Lynx opening the doors to women and illustrate the positive and chaotic implications of both sexes having access to the Lynx Effect.



The Strategy

To communicate to both male and female audiences at the same time the messaging needed to tread a fine line.



To stimulate demand we developed a black market around the Lynx Attract ‘For Her’. By creating clues and giving them to the right bloggers in the social media space the product was seen as illicit and un-obtainable



Acknowledging the USP of Lynx is about the ‘Lynx Effect’ making you attractive to the opposite sex the team developed the strategy that suggested that giving girls access to the brand would in fact double the Lynx Effect, double the attraction and make both girls and boys more successful in the mating game.



Essentially the campaign went on a mission to envisage what will happen when both men and women get the Lynx Effect. We simply explored ways to illustrate the ‘attraction chaos’ and then found impactful ways to facilitate it.



Execution

We created a ‘black market’ to seed the idea that a ‘for her’ variant might exist. Sparking intrigue we created video content of a ‘dodgy dealer’ selling Attract on the street and orchestrated an eBay auction.



When media received locked briefcases, speculation grew. On the day of launch we revealed the case code and the first cans of Attract.



We executed retail launches that illustrated the repercussion of both sexes getting the ‘Lynx Effect’. ‘Attraction chaos’ began at Asda with ‘Girl Town’ where we secured the model, Abbey Clancy, to be the first in the queue for the fragrance. At Superdrug we held a ‘red carpet’ event where a spray of Attract ‘For Him’ and ‘For Her’ sparked a huge public display of affection.



Finally we secured sponsorship of the panda mating season at Edinburgh Zoo. ‘Attraction chaos’ is so effective it can even encourage love-shy pandas to get together.



Documented Results

To date the campaign has resulted in more than 30 pieces of National print coverage, over 300 online stories, 600,000 views of the attraction chaos content and 157,393 new facebook fans.



In the period of PR alone, Attract ‘For Her’ was selling 3 units every minute in Superdrug. Lynx Attract ‘For Him’ and ‘For Her’ is now the fastest selling variant in the brands history. To date 2.3m cans of Attract have been sold in the UK helping the brand grow by 32% year on year.



Following the ‘shock’ product announcement, women’s media are now covering Lynx for the first time since the brands launch.



The message that Lynx Attract ‘For Him’ and ‘For Her’ doubles your chances in the mating game has been embraced.