Marketing in the News - When a Meme Becomes a Masterpiece

Today, I'm discussing the article, "Axe's latest swing: When Tiktok absurdism meets brand design." The title of this article couldn't be better. Tiktok is absurd in the best way to some and in the worst way to others. If you're going to get with the marketing program, you've got to find it absurd in the best way or your brand is going to fall behind. I took interest in this article strictly because of the title. Marketing is forever evolving and Tiktok plays a huge role in advertising today. When I read the title of the article I thought, "What has TikTok done now?" Boy, was I surprised.

Axe body spray dropped a limited-edition can featuring a clip art style axe that was a viral redesign born on Tiktok by graphic designer Emily Zugay. It blends irony, authenticity, and nostalgia into a modern rebrand that resonated with younger audiences on Tiktok. This collaboration shows how brands can harness viral internet culture to create genuine engagement, rather than just chasing trends.

According to the article, the Axe community loved the design and made it known! It was then that the head of Axe U.S., Dolores Assalini said, "The reaction from our fans was really loud and clear. They wanted the new logo and we listened."

Without Tiktok, this partnership and opportunity for this unique rebrand would not have been possible. The article talked about consumer and meme culture. Axe went beyond just posting pictures and videos of memes that are trending and helped the consumers to be a part of their brand. 

Axe's value proposition is to empower people to feel fresh, confident, and authentically themselves - with bold, masculine scents and a brand that embraces individuality. Their about us section talks about how they have and continue to evolve and are always working on their brand and scents.

There was so much marketing relevance in this article! Product launch, limited edition rebrand, which all added to a new marketing campaign that will have sales up. This body spray being limited edition will make it hard to get for customers and shows Axe leveling up by making the Tiktok community and fans apart of this limited edition drop. With the limited edition drop, Axe has also partnered up with influencers to spread the word about their new product. 

There wasn't a specific challenge for Axe when going into this campaign and limited edition launch. You know the saying making lemons into lemonade? Well, they already had the lemonade and just made it that much sweeter with this campaign. This marketing approach is unique because in an attempt to reach a broader audience and connect with more customers, they didn't fail. Think about Cracker Barrel - which the article also references. They went to a more basic, modern looking logo to try to reach younger audiences and the responses were so bad, they went back to their original logo. Axe targeted the buyer persona of Tiktok perfectly - young, irony-driven consumers who appreciate brands that don't take themselves too seriously. This campaign is a great example of how humor, authenticity, and collaboration can refresh a brand's image and build stronger community engagement.

Since the fan reaction was so strong, Axe could have used that energy to launch a user-generated content campaign or reward system — something like, “Design our next limited-edition can.” That would have built long-term loyalty and kept the TikTok community involved even after the buzz died down.

I'm not supposed to say this but if I were the brand/product manager, I would not have done anything differently. I'm more worried that I would've pulled a "Cracker Barrel" - trying to rebrand everything at once instead of keeping it limited edition. By releasing the design as a limited drop, Axe made it feel exclusive and collectible, which only increased demand and hype around the product. Though there is something that can still be done differently. Since the fan reaction was so strong, Axe could use the energy to launch a user-generated content campaign or reward system - something like "Design our next limited edition can." That would have built a long term loyalty and kept the Tiktok community involved even after the buzz dies down.