Manga

Lil Baby Is Starring In A Manga You Can Only Read If You Buy Axe

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Celebrity endorsements are nothing new in the world of advertising. But the most memorable adverts are the ones that are just a little weird. Take, for example, the trend started by Travis Scott of “celebrity McDonald’s meals”. Scott was the first celebrity signed to endorse McDonald’s. “The Travis Scott” was so popular that it caused supply shortages. The fast-food chain has since launched “The J Balvin”, “The BTS”, “The Saweetie”, “The Mariah Carey”, and “The Cardi B and Offset“.

But what if we took things one step further? What if there was an exclusive celebrity product that could only be accessed by buying a product? Again, purchase-exclusive rewards are nothing new. There have been plenty of advertising campaigns where get something extra, or the chance to win something, for buying a specific product. But the recently-announced collaboration between Lil Baby and Axe might just take the cake.

Introducing “Shōnen Baby” By Axe

So there’s a lot to unpack here. Lil Baby has teamed up with Axe to create a manga called Shōnen Baby. They have advertised it on social media by giving the rapper an anime transformation. Shōnen is a genre of manga primarily targeted at teenage boys. Mangas in the shōnen genre are typically heavy on action and adventure. Popular examples include “the big three” of Naruto, Bleach, and One Piece. Honestly, it’s a great combination for Axe, which has a reputation for being the go-to deodorant for teenage boys.

The collaboration is part of the promotion for Axe’s fine fragrance line. This line includes scents such as blue lavender, golden mango, and aqua bergamot. To gain access to Shōnen Baby, individuals need to purchase a valid Axe product at Walmart and upload a picture of their receipt to Axe’s website. That will grant them access to a digital download of the manga when it releases on July 11. According to Axe’s website, receipts must be uploaded by June 15. Axe has not released any further details about the manga itself. However, the idea of a Lil Baby manga is just weird enough to make you want to buy an Axe product.

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Lil Baby’s Love Of Anime Became More Official With His Own ‘Shonen Baby’ Manga, In Partnership With Axe

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Lil Baby dropped the video for “Go Hard” last week. In the track, Baby raps, “Need a Nike deal how I’m runnin’ sh*t,” but he should be perfectly happy with his ongoing Axe partnership.

Earlier this week, Axe and Baby announced they have collaborated on a forthcoming manga, Shonen Baby, due out July 11.

According to ComicBook, the collaboration is meant to commemorate Axe’s “new Fine Fragrance Collection at Walmart.” Fans must purchase an Axe product from the collection at Walmart to gain access to the manga, which will officially be available for download “during an exclusive invite-only virtual launch event” this summer.

The report continues, “Produced by Passion Pictures with artist Future Power Station and Lil Baby in tow, Shonen Baby is teased as a manga that taps into the aspects of Shonen action manga releases. Shonen Baby sees Lil Baby and AXE ’embark on a unique journey to save Atlanta from the evil Culture Vultures out to drain the city of its juice, while unlocking their inner G.O.A.T. (Greatest of All Time).’ Lil Baby will be tapping into special powers for the manga as well.”

If anybody is qualified to save Atlanta, it’s Baby, who already has his own day recognized by the city.

Axe’s official website has initiated a countdown clock to the Shonen Baby release and laid out all the necessary steps: purchase any qualifying Axe product via Walmart before May 31, upload proof of receipt by June 15, and voila, “unlock the Ll Baby experience.”

Axe has served as a vessel for Baby to express his love for anime before. Last September, as relayed by Revolt, Axe and Baby generated “three animated digital episodes” to “give people an inside look into some of [Lil Baby’s] most distinct memories associated with Axe scents.”

Baby said in a statement at the time, “I’ve always been a big fan of anime, so having Axe turn some of my intimate memories and thoughts into an animated mini-series is kind of surreal.”

Watch the teaser for Shonen Baby above.