BBH signs up Ben Affleck as face of Lynx

By James Hamilton Campaign 25-Aug-05, 08:30

LONDON - Bartle Bogle Hegarty is plotting a radical change of direction in its long-running Lynx campaign, employing the actor Ben Affleck as the star of its new commercial.

The ad, which was directed by Danny Kleinman and shot on location in Los Angeles, sees BBH ditch its long line of geeky male leads in favour of a dose of Hollywood charm. Affleck appears at a fee reputed to top £1 million.

Affleck, 33, is no stranger to commercials work. The star of 'Pearl Harbor' and the critically savaged 'Gigli' starred in ads for Burger King when he was a child and, more recently, promoted the L'Oréal Elvive haircare range in the UK in an ad in which he enjoyed the affections of a Jennifer Lopez lookalike.

Lynx last used a celebrity in its UK television advertising in 1997, when it ran work featuring the Friends actress Jennifer Aniston.

BBH's most recent UK television work for the Lynx brand was a series of commercials demonstrating the magnetic effect the body spray has on women. Lynx is sold as Axe in the US, where it is understood the ad starring Affleck will not air.

No-one at either BBH or Unilever would comment on the news as Campaign went to press.

Affleck who also starred in Kevin Smith's 'Chasing Amy', 'Dogma' and 'Jersey Girl' is set to marry former 'Daredevil' co-Star Jennifer Garner.

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