Axe Deodorant
Clearly promoting good personal hygiene, each card shows a young female model posing seductively and appealing to the playboy.
Axe Deodorant Playing Cards by Zecat, Argentina
A 52-card French-suited pack, with 2 jokers + strip poker score card, in a matching box, was given free with each pack of Axe deodorant sold to customers in South American countries. The item is manufactured anonymously, except for the words "Zecat" and "Ind Argentina" (made in Argentina) appearing on one of the box flaps in some editions. There are several editions, with slight differences in the photographs, and different bottles of deodorant bodyspray shown on the Jokers. In some editions the box has text in Spanish and Portuguese, and in others there is no text or information on the box. Clearly promoting good personal hygiene, each card shows a young, pouting female model posing seductively and appealing to the playboy. Zecat specialised in promotional gifts and merchandising for retailers supplied mainly from China and had offices in Argentina and Chile.

Above: the pack comes in several editions for different countries, but is essentially the same in each case, with 52 different photos on the cards + 2 jokers + Strip Poker score card.



Above: Axe Deodorant promotional playing cards produced by Zecat for several South American countries including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela. Anonymous manufacturer, c.2004. This example shows Touch deodorant bodyspray on the two jokers. Other editions show Unlimited deodorant bodyspray.


By Simon Wintle
Member since February 01, 1996
I am the founder of The World of Playing Cards (est. 1996), a website dedicated to the history, artistry and cultural significance of playing cards and tarot. Over the years I have researched various areas of the subject, acquired and traded collections and contributed as a committee member of the IPCS and graphics editor of The Playing-Card journal. Having lived in Chile, England, Wales, and now Spain, these experiences have shaped my work and passion for playing cards. Amongst my achievements is producing a limited-edition replica of a 17th-century English pack using woodblocks and stencils—a labour of love. Today, the World of Playing Cards is a global collaborative project, with my son Adam serving as the technical driving force behind its development. His innovative efforts have helped shape the site into the thriving hub it is today. You are warmly invited to become a contributor and share your enthusiasm.
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