CreativityNever Thought We’d See This, but Here’s an Axe Ad That Has Two Men KissingBrand continues to get more inclusiveBy Tim Nudd|January 14, 2015 ShareBy Tim Nudd|January 14, 2015 Share Axe has been trying to move away from its narrow, misogynistic views on relationships and sexuality for some time. But this BBH London spot is easily the Unilever brand's most inclusive yet. Airing first in Australia (where the brand is called Lynx) before rolling out to other global markets, the hair-care spot packs a lot into 60 seconds. As our hero flips through TV channels at home, we get brief scenes that take place inside each show—with the protagonist in the lead role. Around the 30-second mark, though, we get a scene that would be remarkable for many brands—and astounding for Axe. "Kiss the hottest girl," the voiceover advises the Axe user, "or the hottest boy!" And in the vintage scene, we see the guy do just that. Even better, they don't make a big deal of it. And it's not even mentioned in the press release. (Nick Gill, executive creative director of BBH London, says he's "enormously proud" of the ad—because it's "witty, exciting and full on filmic invention," not because it's revolutionary in any way.) The spot has been getting press just for the gay kiss, and no wonder. Axe has been proudly regressive for years. It's a shock to see it suddenly get this progressive. CREDITS Client: Axe/Lynx Agency: BBH, London Creative Team: Jack Smedley, George Hackforth-Jones Interactive Art Director: Vinny Olimpio Creative Directors: David Kolbusz, Nick Gill, Gary McCreadie, Wesley Hawes Team Director: Cressida Holmes-Smith Team Manager: Freddie Vereker Strategist: Tom Callard Strategy Director: Agathe Guerrier Business Lead: Helen James Film Credits BBH Producer: Glenn Paton BBH Assistant Producer: Katie Burkes Production Company: Biscuit Filmworks Director: Noam Murro Executive Producer: Orlando Wood Producer: Jay Veal Director of Photography: Eric Schmidt Postproduction: Framestore Editing House: Work Post Editors: Neil Smith, Saam Hodivala Sound: Will Cohen @ String and Tins Print Credits BBH Producer: Sally Green Photographer: Alan Clarke Typographer: Rich Kennedy Local Agency Credits Client: Lynx Australia Marketing Director: Jon McCarthy Senior Brand Manager: Johnny Hammond Brand Manager: Lindsey Roberts Digital Agency: Soap Creative Media Agency: Mindshare PR Agency: Liquid Ideas Adweek Adweek