Advertising that consumers don’t want to skip is the holy grail for brands.

As the winning work from The Gerety Awards recently underlined unskippable storytelling driven by creative storytelling and longer-form content is on the up. In the same vein, Lola Mullenlowe’s campaign for Axe’s new ‘Fine Fragrance Collection’ stars a 2 minute music video which tells the story of couples on first dates.

Launching Axe’s Pure Coconut range, the teaser and music video kick off the campaign in Latin America and Spain. Out of home activations and social media content will also support the campaign.

Over the course of the hero video, audiences follow various duos on their first dates, set to a remix of the 90s hit ‘What Is Love’ by Haddaway, remixed by Bizarrap. The song pumps life into the advert and conveys the sense of energy and passion Axe intends its new scent to be associated with.

This is Lola Mullenlowe’s second collaboration with the popular artist. The campaign also features the work of Juan Cabral, an award-winning director, who directs the music video.

The music video tells the stories of various first dates. Before meeting each other, the characters make sure they smell good by using Axe’s new fragrance. Arriving at their respective destinations by car, the couples experience an explosion of passion. This is conveyed through movement, flashing lights, fire, and confetti.

Watched over by a party owl, the couples experience ‘The Power of Biza in a fragrance’, and the video is intercut with Bizarrap in the studio. Axe and Lola Mullenlowe build on the Power of a Fragrance platform by coupling it with the artist, and creating The Power of Biza in a fragrance.

A visually appealing and dynamic music video, the advert successfully conveys a sense of Axe’s new scent, while bucking the trend of short, skippable advertising.