AXE is a deodorant brand famous for giving guys an edge with girls. In 2013, AXE launched it’s most ambitious campaign yet - the AXE Apollo Space Academy, a global competition to send normal guys into space. Yes. Actual space. The campaign idea ‘leave a man, come back a hero’ promised that when it comes to attracting girls, nothing beats an astronaut.

The integrated, multichannel campaign spans over 90 AXE markets and will run for over a year. During this time, guys will encounter legendary astronaut Buzz Aldrin, epic advertising, a digital hub, a global Space Camp to train the best recruits, and of course, the lucky guys will win the trip of a lifetime. Space.

To date, over 600,000 people have entered the campaign, over 5 million votes have been cast and the hub site has received over 12 million unique hits. The campaign has done well socially, gaining 25.06MM video views and over 81MM Facebook impressions. In its first few months, AXE Apollo is our best seller in a number of major markets and the campaign still has about 20-30% of global media spend remaining.

Announce.

Legendary astronaut, Buzz Aldrin, announced the campaign to over 90 markets simultaneously from a PR event held at the planetarium in New York. AXE was sending guys to space. For real.

Recruit.

Film told stories of astronauts winning girls from lifeguards and firemen that had only just saved their lives. Print showed astronauts trumping millionaires and football players. Streets were flooded with guys in space suits. All activity pointed towards a digital hub, where guys signed up and canvassed for votes to go to space.

Train.

100 guys from around the world will go to Space Camp in Florida, a real astronaut training facility where the final cadets will be chosen to go to space. The event will be made into a TV show.

In 2014, 23 guys will then win the trip of a lifetime, a journey into space. They will leave as men, but return as heroes.