Is Axe liable if you use its products but still can't get a girlfriend?

We've all seen those ads for Unilever's Axe deodorant that promise, tongue-in-cheekily, that guys who use it will be chased down by mobs of nubile young women. But what if the consumer's experience with that product doesn't line up with reality? That appeared to be the case in India, where a man apparently sued the company because he used it (actually, a local version called Lynx) for a long time and is still single. "I've been using it for seven years, but no girl came to me," he told the Daily Record in the U.K. The 26-year-old man, Vaibhav Bedi, sued for £50,000 for "depression and psychological damage" related to the lack of an Axe effect. If you think this case sounds too silly to be true, you're right. A Unilever rep tells The Asylum: "We've been following the news reports from India where a man was allegedly planning to take legal action for the Axe Effect not working for him personally. We can confirm this is a hoax." She said the story originated from FakingNews.com, a comedy Web site. But she added: "We have to admit that it's pretty funny and the joke itself is very much in line with our brand tone—playful, with a wink and a nudge." Hmm. Makes you wonder where the story really came from. 

—Posted by Todd Wasserman

Axe's new Fever shower gel will give you big, swinging maracas

Unilever's Axe, not known for its subtle marketing (a guy projectile sweats from his armpits in a current deodorant campaign) goes for the cojones in the new commercial above, airing outside the U.S.  Before using Axe's new Fever shower gel with Brazilian hot mud and red dragonfruit extract? Embarrassingly tiny "maracas" and no action. After? Giant maracas, a gorgeous woman and dirty dancing. See how that works? The spot, with a retro-cool Calypso tune from Harry Belafonte, comes from Bartle Bogle Hegarty, London. It's appropriately called "Muchas Maracas." Ole!

—Posted by T.L. Stanley