Disembodied head shows off Diesel helmets

This brilliant and hilarious Diesel video, created by Shackleton and seeded by The Viral Factory, tells the poignant tale of Quique the Head, an Argentinean man born without a body but with plenty of hope and attitude. Quique faces all sorts of physical and emotional challenges, but he's determined to live a full and exciting life. The video's presented as a clip from a tabloid-style show called Oustanding Lives, whose over-the-top announcer outdoes himself with lines like: "Quique's head is not only full of strangely arranged organs, it's also full of dreams." There are loads of great little details, and the product—a new line of Diesel helmets—is seamlessly woven into the narrative as well. Quique is constantly rolling off tables and down stairs, and can use all the protection he can get.

—Posted by Tim Nudd

Published on September 24, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (3)
Filed under Diesel, Nudd

Enjoy a nice Diesel fragrance ad to the face

Fred & Farid's ads for Diesel's Only the Brave fragrance are disturbing. What's with the fist-shaped bottle? It seems awfully clenched and angry. Adweek's Eleftheria Parpis explains: "The new fragrance attempts to redefine masculinity ... and the campaign tries to turn a symbol, usually of violence, power or ... courage into a philosophy of life." I'm not buying it, Diesel! That fist looks primed to strike. Threateningly propped between the legs of Common and other models, it's not a symbol of some new code of manhood, but a tired totem of macho sexuality and aggression. By implication, the guys are spruced up for the evening and spoiling for a fight. Yeah, they smell great, but they'll gladly use force to get their way.

—Posted by David Gianatasio

Published on May 5, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (2)
Filed under Celebrity endorsements, Diesel, Fragrances, Fred & Farid

Diesel kids enjoy a mind-blowing adventure

This six-minute-plus promo for Diesel's fall/winter kids' collection had me hooked all the way through. It's an insanely creative and disjointed mini-epic, worthy of being called a film and not just a commercial. This was made to sell children's clothes?! The surreal montage borrows ideas and styles from Dr. Seuss, J.K. Rowling, Jules Verne, Terry Gilliam and H.R. Pufnstuf-era Sid and Marty Kroft, to name a few. But the clip surpasses the sum of its inspirations and scores because it accurately captures—as near as my ancient brain can recall—the fantasy worlds inside kids' heads. Check out the scene where the kids glide over the icy landscapes only to be swallowed up in the industrial piping of a crazed factory apparatus. The finale is unnerving, as the whole cast—bathed in an unearthly, almost hellish glow—start screaming. Their eyes blaze like the kids in Village of the Damned, and the embers buzz away into the darkness like fireflies or stars. Oh, man! If that doesn't convince you to buy Diesel clothing, nothing will.

—Posted by David Gianatasio

Published on December 10, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Filed under Apparel, Diesel, Gianatasio

Diesel wants '70s hard-core for its birthday

Diesel turns 30 this year, and is planning a big international birthday party, with events planned in 17 cities on Oct. 11. To advertise it, the company has released this video featuring 1970s porn footage, with animation hiding the naughty bits (and recasting the scenes in amusing ways). The technique is known as "SFW XXX," and while it's pretty funny, it's not really that work-safe. Created by The Viral Factory.

—Posted by Tim Nudd

Published on September 25, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (3)
Filed under Diesel, Nudd, Viral Factory

Never play soccer around gestating clones

Good thing I already knew that Diesel sells jeans, because its “Human after all” campaign won’t help those who are unfamiliar. The ads poke fun at our addiction to technological advancement, suggesting that humans will always find a way to screw things up. See a bunch more print ads here. There are also three videos posted over at Adverblog. They validate the old adage that nothing sells clothes quite like catastrophe, especially in the form of David Lynch-esque opium mirages. I think my favorite is “Space Dinner,” followed by the teleporter one. Didn’t these people see Star Trek? You have to keep your hands and feet inside the transporter at all times.

—Posted by David Kiefaber

Published on October 9, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (1)
Filed under Diesel, Kiefaber

If nothing else, global warming is finally cool

The world’s oceans may soon be lapping at our front doors, but at least the speedboat-owning supermodels among us will be having a good time. This is apparently Diesel’s way of admitting there’s a problem—but not one its customers can’t handle. (As the tag says, they’re “Global warming ready.”) As Diesel does its part to raise awareness, so does Hollywood, with global warming getting plenty of airtime at the Oscars last night. One very happy viewer was Ron Fierman, whose agency, Digital Pulp, designed the new “Beat the Heat” Web site for the National Resource Defense Council, which got a shout-out from Leonardo DiCaprio. Says Fierman: “We couldn’t have gotten a better plug if we tried.” See five other Diesel ads after the jump.

—Posted by Tim Nudd

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Published on February 26, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (30) | TrackBack (0)
Filed under Diesel