1-How Axe Connected with Gen Z Through Culture-Driven Content

When Axe set out to launch its Fine Fragrance Collection in Croatia and Slovenia, the goal wasn’t just to promote a new line of upgraded deodorants. It was to connect- genuinely, smartly, and on-brand with a younger generation that doesn’t respond to old-school advertising tropes.

So they partnered with Recommend.

Back in the early 2000s, Axe ads were famous for over-the-top seduction narratives. But as social and cultural conversations evolved, so did the brand. Axe’s global shift - from "The Axe Effect" to Find Your Magic to The Power of Sweetness has embraced authenticity, irony, and self-awareness.

This shift called for a new kind of storytelling, especially for the Gen Z audience in Croatia and Slovenia, where cultural nuance matters. Traditional ad messaging wasn’t cutting it anymore. Axe needed content that reflected who young people are today: emotionally fluent, casually stylish, and hyper-aware of tone.

They turned to Recommend’s AI-powered content engine to deliver just that.

Working with Recommend, Axe created a full suite of landing pages and branded content, designed specifically for young audiences in Croatia and Slovenia. The focus wasn’t on lifestyle trends. It was on emotional insight, cultural fluency, and language that felt native to the scroll.

From tram rides with lo-fi beats in your headphones, to quiet moments of pre-date confidence, the content brought the Fine Fragrance Collection to life as more than just a product - it became a feeling. A scent-backed aura that didn’t scream for attention, but owned it anyway.

All of this was built using Recommend’s content engine, which allows brands to generate short-form, scroll-optimized content tailored to specific markets, audiences, and moments. The system captured the spirit of Axe’s updated brand image and translated it into Gen Z’s creative language, with just the right balance of self-aware confidence and low-key swagger.

Here’s what the campaign achieved across key channels and audiences:

+42% increase in average time spent on campaign landing pages 3.8x return on ad spend across Meta platforms 2x higher engagement rate among Gen Z audiences vs. previous Axe digital campaigns Significant lift in campaign recall and brand affinity in post-campaign surveys

The content didn’t just drive clicks. It drove emotional connection, story retention, and deeper brand relevance for a notoriously hard-to-reach demographic.

Recommend’s platform brings content and commerce together through automation, creativity, and cultural intelligence. For Axe, this meant:

3. Localized, audience-aware messaging
4. Automated content production at scale
5. Gen Z tone and aesthetic baked into every asset
6. Optimized landing pages powered by real-time insight

Axe provided the vision. Recommend brought the tools to scale it, without losing edge, timing, or voice.

As Axe continues to evolve globally, this campaign represents a blueprint for how legacy brands can stay relevant with new generations. It’s not about louder ads, but about sharper stories.

And for Recommend, it’s another proof point that content built with emotional and cultural fluency drives results.