A little while ago, I was asked by the folks at Axe, the edgy men’s grooming company, to test out and review their new “Vice” product line. Axe, part of Unilever, bills itself as the world’s most popular male grooming brand. Vice is new to the market and I accepted the tough challenge of smelling better than normal for the past two weeks.

With a target demographic that clearly centers around single guys in their 20s and early 30s, Axe’s aggressive and highly creative advertising campaign includes this hilarious mock-u-mentary which focuses on women in prison for assaulting men because the guys’ Axe Vice deodorant and shower gel just smelled too seductive.

All in all, I liked the whole line which includes a shower gel, body spray, and two deodorants – solid and gel. The musky but light scent is clearly noticeable and some guys might find it a little overpowering. It’s definitely a man’s product and no one is going to think that you used your girlfriend’s stuff by accident.

If I had any favorites, I would have to say the solid deodorant and the shower gel were tops. The gel deodorant just didn’t feel as comfortable as the solid and the shower gel lathered right up and left me feeling very clean but not bathed in scent. The body spray was fine, just a little odd from my perspective; though I fully accept that I’m probably not the target club-hopping consumer on that one.

I love the whole advertising angle on this stuff. From the “I could only wish that happened to me,” commercials (boom chicka wah wah one is the best) to the not too-subtle instruction panel on the back of the shower gel container: (1) get in the shower (2) lather up with two girlfriends. OK, not too likely, but lots of fun.

But that’s the kicker here. There are only so many ways to sell deodorant and Axe has found a totally novel and creatively multi layered approach. Regardless, the products are what really matter and they’re good products. Give them a try – who know what might happen.