Diesel: Design & Branding

Credits & Description:

Brand DIESEL
Entrant DIESEL BREGANZE
DIESEL Breganze, Italy Entrant Company
PUBLICIS ITALY Milan, Italy Idea Creation
PUBLICIS New York, USA Idea Creation
RIVAL SCHOOL PICTURES New York, USA Production
COSMO STREET New York, USA Production
PARK PICTURES New York, USA PR
Bruno Bertelli Publicis Italy Creative Director
Cristiana Boccassini Publicis Italy Creative Director
Andy Bird Publicis NY CCO
Luca Pannese, Luca Lorenzini Publicis NY ECD's
Milos Obradovic, Mihnea Gheorghiu Publicis Italy Digital Creative Directors
Bryce Hooton, Kristen Koop Publicis NY Associate Creative Director's
Lisa Bifulco Publicis NY EVP, CPO
Tim Legallo Publicis NY VP, Executive Producer
Adrienne Ludvigsen Publicis NY Business Manager
Melanie Lyon, James Bundy Publicis NY Account Directors
Stefano Perazzo Publicis Italy Head Of Social
Doina Tatu Publicis Italy Social Media Manager
Barbara Pusca, Camilla Poli Publicis Italy Account Team
Andrew Lane Rival School Pictures Director
Noa Dekel Publicis Italy Strategic Planner
James Blom Rival School Pictures Executive Producer
Doug Smith Rival School Pictures Production Supervisor
Connor Vassar Rival School Pictures Ass. Production Supervisor
Aaron Langley Cosmo Street Editor
Paolo Solarte Cosmo Street Producer
Alessandro Cristoferi, Diego Perugini Stabbiolo Music Music
Published: February 2018
Synopsis
The annual traffic of counterfeit goods in the fashion industry is worth $461 billion, and knock-off brands use subtle design or spelling changes to mimic the real deal. So, to turn this counterfeit business threat into a business opportunity, we decided to create an iconic visual style for Diesel’s own knock-off brand, DEISEL. The objective would be to design branding that would look like an actual knock-off brand and assist in creating a genuine knock-off brand experience. We wanted to design it in such a way that resonated with a savvy millennial audience and give fresh energy to the Diesel brand, re-establishing it as the leader of brave and subversive fashion.
Outcome
Within a single week, the DEISEL experience generated 400 million global media impressions and 55 million social impressions. The buzz got so big, that within several days, people even started making fakes of our fakes and selling them online. The DEISEL store sold out in 24 hours, and when the collection went on Diesel.com, it sold out within several hours, 3 times in a row. The campaign was covered in hundreds of major publications all over the world including The New York Times, Daily Mail, Vogue, Huffington Post, Harper’s Bazaar, Vanity Fair, Esquire, GQ, Elle, Marie Claire, Women’s Wear Daily, New York Post and Cosmopolitan.
VOGUE called the idea “The ultimate brand strengthening exercise.”
WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY wrote, “Operating in the same style as its Canal St. neighbors, the store’s interiors and selling experience played out authentically.
Execution
Staying true to Diesel’s disruptive nature, our design team subverted Diesel’s actual logo by switching the I and the E, and then adding an extra L in “For Successfull Living”. We even subtly changed the font in order to look like a true knock-off brand. We then rented a store in the heart of NYC’s counterfeit district. For authenticity, we designed it to look cluttered and tacky in order to look like a true knock-off store and organically blend with the neighborhood. Unassuming shoppers then bought real Diesel pieces, believably disguised as DEISEL, for knock-off prices. During New York Fashion Week, we let the secret out through social media, attracting thousands of fans and fashionistas. Full price this time. The store sold out on day one, turning our fashion knock-off into a fashion icon worldwide. Then we launched the brand globally on Diesel.com, which sold out in several hours.
Campaign Description
The annual traffic of counterfeit goods in the fashion industry is worth $461 billion, and knock-off brands use subtle design or spelling changes to mimic the real deal. So, to turn this counterfeit business threat into a business opportunity, we decided to create an iconic visual style for Diesel’s own knock-off brand, DEISEL. The objective would be to design branding that would look like an actual knock-off brand and assist in creating a genuine knock-off brand experience. We wanted to design it in such a way that resonated with a savvy millennial audience and give fresh energy to the Diesel brand, re-establishing it as the leader of brave and subversive fashion.