iClickNation.com

A while back, Axe launched the “Naughty to Nice” campaign. The premise is that Axe Vice products are turning nice girls into naughty vixens. As part of the campaign, Axe launched a slick viral microsite consisting of a funny video and a mystery for visitors to solve.

The problem I have with the mystery is that there is no mystery. The answer is plastered all over the site and the clues are spoon feed to you.

Painfully Obvious Tip: If you’re going to create a challenge for your visitors, make sure that it’s somewhat challenging. Otherwise, visitors are not going to feel rewarded for their effort. Don’t spoon feed the clues. Make them earn it. People who participate in mysteries want to be challenged.

Perhaps the true mystery involves figuring out who Axe is actually marketing to? After viewing the Naughty To Nice video (well worth a click), you are asked to report any naughty girls in your life. Once you report a naughty girl, Axe sends that girl an email to inform her of the video.

This “report a naughty girl” feature brings up some interesting questions. Are they hoping that this will spread to teenage girls who will buy it for their smelly boyfriends? Are these naughty girls going to send it to their naughty friends who will send it to their boyfriends? Is Axe going outside their direct target market so that they can jump between different male social clicks? Are naughty girls the common thread that binds all men together?