Six years after the "Be Stupid" campaign, Diesel and Anomaly are rekindling their relationship. Diesel has tapped Anomaly Amsterdam as its global agency of record; the first creative work will feature the apparel brand's spring and summer collection and debut in February. The upcoming campaign will be fully integrated and include TV, print and digital platforms.
"Diesel's success rests on its ability to reinvent itself to stay relevant and compelling without being locked in a beautiful past," said Nicola Formichetti, who joined the OTB-owned brand as artistic director three years ago, in a statement. He noted the importance of an agency partner that understands the changing consumer landscape and looks beyond advertising.
The Italian jeans brand, which was founded in 1978, last worked with 12-year-old Anomaly in 2010 on "Be Stupid," which encouraged consumers to take risks. In one ad, a swimsuit-clad woman is photographing her nether regions while a lion roams nearby. "Smart may have the brains, but stupid has the balls," read the text. The campaign won a Grand Prix in the outdoors category at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival, but Anomaly and Diesel parted ways later that year.
"Back in the day when people still shopped in stores, phones weren't smart, and shock and controversy were the exception—not the norm—it was easier for brands to stand out," said Amanda Fève, chief strategist and partner at Anomaly Amsterdam, in a statement. "Together, we have developed a marketing strategy that translates Diesel's appetite for bravery and provocation to today's world."
Diesel spent $5.7 million on measured media in the U.S. last year, according to Kantar Media. In recent years, the brand, which is known for its provocative advertising, has worked with Amsterdam agency SuperHeroes and Fred & Farid Shanghai. Last spring, the denim purveyor ran "Still Looking" with Spring Studios in New York. In one video ostensibly meant to be a commentary on the hazards of digital dating, a man physically Tinder-swipes faces on an actual woman, searching for the best fit.
