HUL's Axe launches music video ‘Ab Teri Baari' with Arre and Mindshare

Hindustan Unilever’s deodorant brand Axe has teamed up with digital platform Arré and leading media agency Mindshare to launch a collaborative branded content in the form of a music video titled ‘Ab teri baari’ featuring Bollywood star Ayushmann Khurrana and rap/hip-hop artist Naezy.

The music video features the stories of Indian football captain Sunil Chhetri, Dance Superstar Dharmesh Yelande, YouTube Sensation ‘BeYouNick’ and the Made in Heaven actor Shashank Arora.

The collaboration song is a strong call to action for Indian guys to stop worrying about the rules of society and the dreaded ‘Log kya kahenge’ and focus on finding what makes them unique instead.

Built around Axe’s brand purpose of inspiring guys to express their individuality and becoming their most attractive selves, the song mirrors the brand’s communication platform of ‘Make Your Own Rules’.

Nippun Aneja

Talking about the concept, Nippun Aneja, General Manager Deodorants & Men’s Grooming at Hindustan Unilever Limited, explained, “Many boys in India still feel an overwhelming pressure to conform to masculine stereotypes. There are many said and unsaid rules on how to ‘Be a Man’ - The way you look, the way you act & interact with your peers; even your career choices & hobbies are being judged through the lens of being ‘masculine enough.’

We want young guys to feel free from the pressures of these ‘rules’, discover what makes them unique and work on it. Axe believes that expressing your individuality is what makes a guy attractive, so go ahead ‘Make Your Own Rules’ and be the best version of yourself.”

Jaideep Singh, Director, Arrè, commented, “As a platform and a voice that has led gender-based conversations for the youth over the last few years, Arre is stoked to have conceptualized this initiative with Axe. This campaign is a perfect showcase of content and brand seamlessly engaging with the youth in a conversation that is important to them. Arre has developed this unique campaign with spectacular coming together of talent and impeccable creative execution with top of the line production values and a brilliant delivery plan across multiple platforms.”

Ajay Mehta

Commenting on this, Ajay Mehta, Vice President, Content+, Mindshare, said, “Axe has always been an iconic youth brand with communication deep-rooted in Pop culture. The idea was to use Music & more importantly Hip Hop as a genre which has been recently quite popular among the younger audiences. While Ayushmann & Naezy have given their voice, the music video features some of the top influencers who not only resonate with the brand but are real-life examples. Each of them have a unique story to tell which brings alive the brand’s narrative in a compelling manner. It’s a light-hearted piece of content which is fun, catchy yet inspiring.”

The video: