Through New Year’s on Creativity, we’ll be counting down the best work and ideas of the year in various categories: TV/Film/Branded Content, Print/Out of Home/Design/Experiential and Digital/Integrated/Social.

At No. 6 in Print/OOH/Design/Experiential is this pop-up shop that appeared in New York’s Chinatown, home to counterfeit merchants galore, during Fashion Week. The store’s shelves proudly displayed a plethora of “counterfeit” Diesel goods--adorned with the brand’s misspelled moniker, “Deisel.” It turns out that the products weren’t fakes at all, but part of an extremely limited-edition line from the brand. It was just one of the Diesel’s many moves that upheld its legacy of defying convention. 2018 also saw it enter into an unusual fashion collaboration--with a kebab-stand owner. Later in the year, we also saw another standout retail idea that screwed with consumer perceptions, Payless’ Palessi.

Original Story:

Just in time for New York fashion week, a knock-off shop popped up on New York's Canal Street selling what appeared to be "fake" Diesel clothing--unabashedly adorned with a misspelled version of the fashion brand's name--Deisel.

But the unsuspecting shoppers who dipped into their pockets to purchase pieces were actually scoring fashion gold, as the clothing was actually part of a limited edition line from the brand. It's just the latest cheeky play from the brand and Publicis, which in recent advertising has embraced imperfection and put sheep in people's clothing.

"Diesel has been breaking conventions in the fashion world for 40 years," says Publicis New York Chief Creative Officer Andy Bird in a statement. "Here they are again, taking a direct to consumer twist on fashion marketing, smack in the center of one of the largest fashion-centric events in the world. Now that's a real fashion statement."

"Only a brand that's been challenging conventions since the beginning, like Diesel, could literally take this road less traveled," adds Publicis New York Executive Creative Directors Luca Lorenzini and Luca Pannese.

The idea is slightly reminiscent of a move from artist Takashi Murakami, who sold fake Louis Vuitton fakes outside the Brooklyn Museum in New York as part of his exhibit there in 2008.