Fallen Angel Axe Commercial Banned Thanks To One Pissed Christian

An Axe commercial in which lusty angels fall to earth, drawn by the scent of one random dude’s body spray, first hit airwaves in February — but now it has been banned in South Africa. AdFreak reports that one guy, a Christian, complained about the ad, and deemed it offensive, “specifically over the idea that angels would forsake their divinity for aerosol cologne.”

The Advertising Standards Authority ruled:

The problem is not so much that angels are used in the commercial, but rather that the angels are seen to forfeit, or perhaps forego their heavenly status for mortal desires… This is something that would likely offend Christians in the same manner as it offended the complainant.

Okay, sure. Does that mean that no one complained that this ad also offensive to women? Axe has a history of cringe-worthy ads, including one that seems to advocate leaving your girlfriend at the dinner table so you can party with strippers in the bathroom. The angel commercial would have us believe that leggy models will actually ignore halos and all sense of reason and go for a dude just because of how he smells. It’s so weird that the same company that makes Axe also makes Dove — a brand known for self-esteem building and “love your body” campaigns.

Axe’s Fallen Angels Banned in South Africa [AdFreak]
South Africa Bans Lynx Deodorant Advert Showing Angels Falling From Heaven… Because It Offends Christians [Daily Mail]