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Stupid Is Following The Conscious and UnconsciousMay 26, 2010 – 5:07 pm |
 Abdul Fattah Ismail |
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Back in 2004, I interned with the Press Department of Diesel U.S.A. My experience was very unique, as I became acquainted with the inner workings of an apparel giant whose influence at the time remained strong with the dynamic and creative. Despite the high price tag of their denim, sales flourished due to their innovative marketing strategies. Nowadays, the brand has lengthened their portfolio to the higher end of the spectrum, with a flagship store on Fifth Avenue and the collection Diesel Black Gold.
The decade moved along, with Diesel reaching its thirties. Suddenly, the brand is in competition with an endless labels selling similar apparel. Recently, Founder Renzo Rosso and his management team decided to recoup market share with a new interactive campaign called Be Stupid. The message is pretty straightforward, aiming to cultivate those who are not familiar with the brand and its roots in denim.
The website is a tour de force of Flash design. A streaming video of slogans flow with “Honeytrap” from British dance rock group We Have Band. After that, we have an application mimicking Upwords, where you can put together various words into your own sentences and share them through social media sites. Here’s my poem. 
That is simply the first part of the campaign. Once you move on to the video catalog, you get a dance performance with models wearing the spring/summer 2010 collection. If you pause and click on the head of each model, you get a quick bio along with links to their personal social media pages. You also can click on the clothing to get more depth on where to purchase those pieces, either online or your local store. The video continues playing “A Hundred Lovers” by Spanish group Josep when you move the arrow off the photo. It’s a comprehensive use of Flash, and well done.
The website lastly has a contest where you can upload your stupid images and win chances at trips to South Africa, Las Vegas, and other places. We’ll see the effects of this interactive rush in the future, but Diesel clearly is fueling the consciousness, seen and unseen.
