Men+and+Deodorant+Commercials

Men's Deodorant Commercials Brian Freeman '12

 After taking a shower and getting dressed every morning, I put on my deodorant without much thought on how it affects my daily life. Many other people have the same interaction with deodorant, and with the many brands and scents in the market today, people are overwhelmed with the seemingly endless options. I personally found my deodorant brand in my father’s medicine cabinet and it works great. It’s nothing special. Why should I change something that works?  Recent advertisements and commercials regarding men’s deodorant have gone over the top to attract sweaty men to their products. They depict scenarios where boys are changed into men, a hairy, groggy man is transformed into a well-dressed shaven Italian super model, and a man is chased on the beach by hundreds of women based exclusively on the type of deodorant he uses. The falsities of these ads are insulting to the image of masculinity. Men do not simply attract woman based solely based on their deodorant. Instead of falsely advertising men’s deodorant by seemingly hocus-pocus scenarios, the media should focus more on the scientific functionality and antiperspirant properties of their products.  In July of 2011 the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) reported on Hindustan Unilever Ltd’s The Axe Effect television commercial depicting a female security guard frisking a man at the airport:“She is shown in a spell of lust and clinging to his body in a display of sexual passion overpowering her with the voice-over, “The Axe Effect” (Editors, FP). The ASCI concluded that this commercial, along with two others, displayed overtly sexual desire towards men and “is also demeaning to woman” (Editors, FP). Another source, Delshad Irani of the Economic Times, stated in his article, Men’s deo ads an aberration; Axe, Wild Stone, Set Wet faced ad council wrath, “Commercials for men’s deodorant brands generally go like this. A can of compressed aerosols has the power to turn a mere mortal, or, in some cases, an unattractive young bloke ignored by the ladies for most of his miserable life, into an irresistible Adonis” (D. Irani). These simply miraculous events are cued by the application of an everyday toiletry.  I find it ridiculous how a deodorant choice can drastically alter a male’s appearance to women in mind-blowing proportions. The advertisers portray this phenomenon as simply magical. In another commercial, a normal teenager sprays himself with men’s deodorant and Abracadabra masses of woman appear out of thin air and chase him on an endless beach as if he has the answer to finding their Prince Charming’s. If results like this occur on a normal basis, shouldn’t there be a warning label on the back of the deodorant in fine print. WARNING: Application of this deodorant may cause spontaneous materialization of attractive woman. It may cause increased sexual desirability. In rare cases, men have been run to death. Men’s Deodorant Inc. is not responsible for any bodily harm with application of this product. These seemingly absurd advertisements are falsely advertising unrealistic images of masculinity, not the product.  In order to rework the wizardry of men’s deodorant advertisers, the absurdity of these ads needs to be addressed. Realistic situations could be pitched as successful ads ranging from the locker room of a professional sports team to personal testimonies by people on the streets of New York. Perhaps, a pitchman could ask people to apply the deodorant then ask: do you feel magical? Not only would this provide a personal testimony of how the deodorant works on different types of people, it would mock the other supernatural commercials. This would raise awareness of the stupidity and false portrayal of masculinity in men’s deodorant ads. Eventually, the “magical/Abracadabra/hocus-pocus” men’s deodorant commercials will become extinct, eradicating the false advertising of masculinity on televisions. Once again the male species will devolve into being good for only one thing. But how often does one need to parallel-park?

Works Cited

Editors, FP. “Deodorant ads create a stink.” Aug. 22, 2011. FirstPost Business. Reteieved October 28, 2011:http://www.firstpost.com/business/deodorant-ads-create-a-stink- 66330.html.

D. Irani. “Men’s deo ads an aberration; Axe, Wild Stone, Set Wet faced ad council wrath.” October 5, 2011. Economic Times. Retrieved October 28, 2011 from website: http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2011-10-05/news/30246907_1_deodorant- future-brands-lipstick-brand.