Guests Were Invited to This Launch Party—But They Didn’t Know the Host (Hint: It Was AXE)

The body spray brand hosted a multi-sensory event in NYC with cheeky touchpoints and a scent discovery experience.

March 15, 2023

A hybrid between a fine fragrance and a deodorant, the collection features five scents: Blue Lavender, Aqua Bergamot, Green Geranium, Golden Mango, and Pure Coconut. AXE wants to prove that it's the "G.O.A.T of the fragrance industry" and carried that messaging throughout the space.Photo: Courtesy of AXENEW YORK—To celebrate the launch of its new fragrance collection, men’s grooming brand AXE hosted a launch party in New York City on Feb. 23 at the historic Bathhouse Studios. But there was a catch: None of the guests knew it was an AXE event.

Upon checking in, small groups of guests were guided through a sensory experience in almost complete darkness, with the intention of heightening their sense of smell. Blue lavender, the hero scent of the collection, permeated the space. Brand ambassadors led each guest through the experience, which featured cheeky language that alluded to the fragrance notes and a diffuser box that generated light puffs of fragrance.

There was also an immersive tunnel, dubbed the AXE Vortex, that brought each of the fragrances in the new collection to life through graphics, moving images, neon highlights, and mirrors, allowing guests to be completely enveloped by each scent.

“Our new Fine Fragrance Collection is just as good as expensive, luxury colognes, so we wanted to let the scent speak for itself,” explained Caroline Gregory, global brand director at AXE, about the concept. “We chose to reveal the fragrance first, so that attendees wouldn’t let any preconceived notions of AXE get in the way of the actual scents.”

She added that the brand mailed AXE-scented invites to the guests. “We wanted guests to be genuinely impressed that this was AXE, and therefore rethink what they thought they knew about our brand.” Around 150 guests, including a mix of NYC media, cultural tastemakers, and influencers, attended the event.

The AXE Fine Fragrance Collection, which was developed in partnership with top perfumers Givaudan and Firmenich, features an eclectic range of scent profiles, with notes inspired by foods such as lavender ice cream and drinks like flavored and hard seltzers.

Once reaching the party space, guests discovered who the mystery host was via branded touchpoints including cocktails that incorporated the fragrance notes, branded LED ice cubes, and black light menus. Brand ambassadors served samples from the collection on silver platters.

“Over the years, we have evolved our marketing strategy so that we can more authentically connect with our audience,” Gregory said. “As we geared up to launch our Fine Fragrance Collection, we saw that fragrance was the No. 1 driver of confidence, and that young men were spending upward of $75 on scents to achieve this feeling. Because we are a brand that is all about quality and affordability, we felt perfectly poised to create a premium scent that everyone can afford.”

Keep scrolling to see key vendors and more from inside the launch party...

VENDORS
Audio/Visual & Lighting: Luminae Productions
Catering: Relish Catering
Collateral: Albert's Printing
Ice Sculpture: Okamoto Studios
Production: M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment, AKC Productions
Rentals: Taylor Creative
Staffing: Matrix Model Staffing
Venue: Bathhouse Studios

The February launch event was hosted at Bathhouse Studios, a newly renovated event space on the Lower East Side. "We were actually the first brand to activate there since it opened a few weeks prior. Its nondescript location provided the perfect ‘unexpected’ backdrop," Gregory said.

Photo: Courtesy of AXE

Brand ambassadors led each guest through the sensory experience, which featured cheeky language that alluded to the fragrance notes and a diffuser box that generated light puffs of fragrance.

Photo: Courtesy of AXE

An immersive tunnel, dubbed the AXE Vortex, brought each of the fragrances in the new collection to life through graphics, moving images, neon highlights, and mirrors.

Photo: Courtesy of AXE

The AXE Fine Fragrance Collection features an eclectic range of scent profiles, with notes inspired by foods such as lavender ice cream and drinks like flavored and hard seltzers.

Photo: Courtesy of AXE

A hybrid between a fine fragrance and a deodorant, the collection features five scents: Blue Lavender, Aqua Bergamot, Green Geranium, Golden Mango, and Pure Coconut. AXE wants to prove that it's the 'G.O.A.T of the fragrance industry' and carried that messaging throughout the space.

Photo: Courtesy of AXE

Specialty cocktails incorporated the fragrance notes and featured branded LED ice cubes.

Photo: Courtesy of AXE

A goat head ice sculpture, illuminated by AXE-themed colored lighting, was created by Okamoto Studios.

Photo: Courtesy of AXE

The cocktails included "The G.O.A.T," which was inspired by the Blue Lavender fragrance and featured bourbon, absinthe, vanilla syrup, bitters, and orange; "Dripped Out" was inspired by Aqua Bergamot and included gin alongside a lavender liqueur, lime, and rose syrup; and "It’s A W" was inspired by Green Geranium and contained vodka, apricot puree, juniper, mint, and a black pepper dusting.

Photo: Courtesy of AXE