Axe Mr Pimpa

Working on the assumption that rock stars get more attention from women than your average man in the street, Axe created a fictional rock star to act, not as spokesman, but as an antagonist for the new scent. Mr Pimpa, a cocky rock star would hate AXE Music Star because of its ability to help the wearer get the girls previously stolen by Mr Pimpa.

Mr Pimpa appeared on TV shows, magazines, radio and online promoting his single, Da King. The lyrics laid down a challenge: If you steal my girls using this cool fragrance, I will give you my limo.

The Mr Pimpa challenge

The song was a hit, securing double platinum sales (250 000+) in Brazil, becoming the most popular artist among the target audience during the campaign. The video for the single was seeded on the internet and broadcast on MTV programming. Mr Pimpa also challenged customers in different media channels and at music events to battle him in his own online game.

Just as the song promised, the best game player was rewarded with a real golden limo. Mr Pimpa was seen on TV shows, videoclips, magazines, big music awards, bigger music festivals, profiles on web social networks, and mobile phone media.

Results

The project achieved a visibility score of 96% among the target market of young males. Consumers involved by this activity showed greater interest in the Axe brand than over other competitors. The campaign also outperformed previous traditional TV campaigns for Axe. Over 250 000 Mr Pimpa singles were downloaded and the Mr Pimpa game tested 135 000 players with an average gaming time of 9:46 minutes. During the campaign, Mr Pimpa's profile on MySpace was the 2nd most visited profile.