The fallout centres around a piece of creative from its latest campaign, which has since been banned for breaching industry guidelines. The creative, aptly named “Flasher”, pictures a girl flashing her breasts at a security camera with the tagline “Smart May Have the Brains. But Stupid Has the Balls”, and is part of the recent Diesel “Be Stupid” campaign, designed to promote the label's winter 2011 collection.
The “Flasher” creative, one of six posters originally intended to go live in April via a large “Be Stupid” outdoor execution across Sydney and Melbourne urban areas, was banned from being advertised on outdoor billboards on the basis of breaching the guidelines outlined by the Outdoor Media Association (OMA) and the Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA) Code of Ethics.
The creative was found to have breached the treatment of sex, sexuality and nudity in its advertising. Leanne Wall, marketing manager at Brand Collective, responsible for the brand in Australia, said she was disappointed and surprised about the banning, but stands by the creative, which she said speaks for the brand.
“The ‘Flasher’ creative was banned from being advertised on outdoor billboards and we were disappointed that this creative could not been featured dominantly in outdoor in Australia, as the same ad created a great buzz in international markets,” she said.
“Diesel is a brand known for crossing boundaries and this campaign really sums this up. This has really been the only bump in the road for this campaign. We've had a really great response from it, and that particular image can still be seen online, along with a selection of other ‘Be Stupid’ creative executions that ran internationally and were far more provocative than ‘Flasher’.”
Wall also said the provocative posters are just the beginning of the Diesel brand push, which has also included recent “Be Stupid” outdoor activities and stunts across Melbourne and Sydney.
“The ‘Be Stupid’ campaign is the first instalment to a bigger campaign which will hit the market in spring/summer,” she said. “It's all about brand awareness and brand image. I want people to know that Diesel is back, it breaks the mould and the product is awesome. Diesel is stupid, thoroughly identifies with it and lives it as the clearest expression ever of what the brand is standing for.”
Daniela Aroche