AXE Argumentative Essay

1188 Words3 Pages

What’s your stereotypical image of a real man? Tall, handsome, muscular, tough, confident, determined, decisive? When a product is advertised towards men, the company always establishes connections between the product and the symbols of masculinity. AXE, a famous male grooming products company, is of no exception. AXE is known for its witty and rather sexist commercials which usually feature the romantic relationships between a young man and one or several sexy women. Thus, AXE defines masculinity as the ability to attract women. However, during the 2014 Super Bowl, a AXE commercial titled “Make Love, Not War” which advertised its new AXE Peace deodorant body spray, surprised the audience and subverted their impression of the company. Using war as background, the commercial redefined the meaning of masculinity. Opening up with an eerie and depressive piano piece that you would find in an epic movie, the two-minute commercial depicts four …show more content…

In the commercial, all the male characters have power in their hands, such as having a deadly weapon or the ability to command a whole army. “With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility.” We expect the soldier to perform his duty and the leader to command the army and bring victory. Yet, even in tough situations, these strong men forget the hatred and put their women and the romantic love before the war. Instead of fulfilling their duty and fight the wars, they fight for their loved ones. Therefore, in the commercial, masculinity is not the determination and responsibility of man, but the courage to show the love. Not every man will fight a war or lead a country, but every man will have times of difficulties, such as losing his job or having the house destroyed by a tornado. Using this commercial, AXE sends out the message that by using its product, you will be a real man who can go against social norms and have the courage to show your love even in

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