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What began as a simple Italian denim brand, found by friends Renzo Rosso and Adriano Goldshmied in 1978, is now a worldwide company, that sells not only jeans but womenswear, menswear, childrenswear, accessories, fragrances… Diesel is a lifestyle brand who knows how to differentiate itself with powerful messages. In Rosso’s mind (who shortly after became the sole CEO), giving freedom to the styling team is essential. His only rule was to ignore trends reports and invest in unconventional, daring approaches to product development, which allowed new cuts and treatments for the jeans collections.
Since the 1990s, international expansion became more aggressive, especially when the first store was open in New York, in 1996. Campaigns were also an important tool to communicate Diesel’s identity. One of them had ‘For Successful Living’ as a slogan and mocked 1950s ads. By the turn of the century, with heavy competition from other premium denim brands, the company once again set up a strategic plan for differentiation through partnerships with other brands (jeans for Karl Lagerfeld, watches with Fossil, furniture with Moroso and Foscarini, a helmet with AGV), plus a hotel (the Pelican in Miami) and sponsorship of cultural projects to discover young talents.
However, the impact of ads showing two sailors kissing, the ‘Global Warming Ready’ (with the possible changes caused by global warming) and ‘Be Stupid’ campaigns made the positioning of Diesel reach new grounds. They are clear evidence of its Jester identity, the archetype that wants people to have fun! It is an invitation to break the rules in favour of innovative, out of the box ideas. For Diesel, social regulation doesn’t exist and everyone should feel free to be who they are, without inhibitions. In other words, being stupid can lead you to great success in life!
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