The above ad is from Glamour Magazine - the February 2008 issue. I tore it out of a mag at our health club (I'm a Glamourous guy, you know) and tossed it into my gym bag. 'Got a little crumpled in the process...
Anyway, here's the High Concept - a blonde Asian woman is staring at her reflection as she runs into an oncoming truck. (time out - imagine that phone call from the Creative Director to the Client: "Yeah, we're gonna get a blond Asian chick, she's going to be holding a big ole' mirror and running into a truck! It'll be GREAT!"
The copy reads: "Live fast." The subcopy reads, "High Speed Shopping: diesel.com" What the...?!
Wait...now I get it! The mirror is the metaphor for a computer monitor! The truck represents the terror of an upscale mall...and the blonde Asian woman wearing last week's jeans is the customer you DON'T want to be!
Ah-HA! It's getting clearer now...If you don't shop at Diesel.com, you'll get hit by a truck! Right! Got it! No...WAIT! What's that slogan under the logo? "For Successful Living" ?!
Ahhhh. Maybe this whole vignette is a character message - "If you're obsessed with appearances, you'll get hit by a truck and you won't be successful." Right! Just like mom always taught us kids - work hard, do right, be yourself...
You know, it took me a while, but Diesel's all right, taking the time to weave that Noble message in and out of their ad. This reminds me of a saying my Mom had about about clothing and trucks...what was it (thinks)...OH YEAH! Wear clean underwear in case I get hit by a...THATS IT!
THIS IS AN UNDERWEAR AD!!
You know, if I was out walking around, navigating by reflection, and I looked up and saw that truck, I'd definitely have a sudden need for clean underwear and when I got out of the hospital, I'd head straight for Diesel.com to buy more! Brilliant!...maybe...not.
Going back to Diesel's slogan and what my mom taught - work hard, do right, be yourself, wear clean underwear...that'd be be truer to "...Successful Living" than screeching tires, shattering glass and dirty underwear.
In the meantime, you might like to see a fashion ad from 1979 that's both insane and brilliant at the same time. One of the all-time best ads ever - timeless, elegant and well produced all around.
