In an effort to create a buzz for a brand new men’s scent debuting this summer, home and personal care manufacturer Unilever is attempting something a little different: a free online “seduction skills” game called Mojo Master.
Developed by online game company WildTangent, the game is a 3-D exercise in picking up women aimed at 17-to-24-year-old men, the chief advertising target for Axe’s new scent, Unlimited. Armed with the deodorant body spray, shower gel, deodorant stick, and invisible solid, players will maneuver through a series of pick-up moves while courting 100 women in virtual venues in New York and Los Angeles. Each time he uses one of the Unlimited products, his mojo increases, while every time the player impresses a woman (which is indicated by her “attraction meter”), he scores higher. Female characters (who, according to WildTangent’s executive vice president of sales and marketing, Dave Madden, are “absolutely stunning” to look at) are imbued with artificial intelligence and are said to react to players in various ways. When a player has “conquered” all 100 women, he is deemed a “mojo master,” thus giving him the worthiness to use the fragrance.
The game follows Axe’s penchant for racy advertising featuring large-breasted, skimpily clad women, and cost a reported seven figures to make. According to the company’s senior brand development manager David Rubin, “Axe has done games before, but this is a console-quality game that you can play for hours on end. We recognize that our target is doing other things than watching TV and reading magazines. He consumes all kinds of media [so] there’s lot of places to get him.”
The game will be supported by print and online promotions, chiefly with agencies like Conductor and Box. Though TV advertising will be part of its marketing strategy, Rubin said, it will not directly support it. Meanwhile, Unilever – which holds a large share in the deodorant market – will also heavily push the product, having spent $5 million on online advertising for Axe in 2004 on the company’s Axe antiperspirant.
An online video and accompanying blog featuring “seduction crash-test dummies” Gareth and Evan was also created by Conductor, and is available on the game’s site, Mojomastergame.com.
So far, there hasn’t been any word on when any of the female characters will stage a revolt and begin spraying potential suitors in the eyes with the fragrance.
