Diesel: Be A Follower
Diesel wanted to reclaim its status as a provocative cultural disruptor. Publicis Italy was tasked with driving e-commerce sales and brand engagement without following the expensive industry trend of traditional influencer marketing, which felt increasingly fake to their core audience.
Creative Idea
Flipped the influencer script by rewarding regular followers for opening their own Diesel online store.
Diesel subverted the influencer obsession by celebrating the effortless life of followers and launching a digital platform that allowed regular customers to monetize their social presence, proving that being a follower is more rewarding than being an influencer.
Turning The Social Media Hierarchy Upside Down
The High Cost Of Being Likable
To capture the irony of the influencer lifestyle, Publicis Italy collaborated with the artistic duo Pierpaolo Ferrari and Maurizio Cattelan - the minds behind *Toiletpaper* magazine - to create hyper-saturated, surreal visuals. Directors Ali Ali and Ahmed Tahoun filmed real-life influencers like Jennifer Grace (@thenativefox) and Bloody Osiris poking fun at their own digital struggles. The films juxtaposed the "hard work" of finding perfect lighting and wearing impractical clothes against the effortless, messy reality of Diesel followers. This self-deprecating approach was a direct successor to Diesel’s "Go With the Fake" stunt, cementing a brand strategy rooted in radical irony.
Monetizing The Ninety Nine Percent
The "Side Biz" extension transformed a traditional loyalty program into a massive affiliate network. By visiting a dedicated URL, any user could become a "nano-influencer" without a contract or a minimum follower count. This democratized marketing model led to a significant jump in online sales during the first week of launch. Renzo Rosso, Diesel’s founder, noted that while social networks chase curated beauty, presenting reality earns more respect from the modern consumer.
A Masterclass In Nano Influencer Strategy
At a time when brands were pouring millions into high-tier celebrity partnerships, Diesel proved that a brand's most loyal customers are often more effective salespeople. The campaign turned thousands of regular customers into active brand ambassadors, earning rewards like discounts and experiences for every sale they generated. By shifting the focus from the "influential elite" to the 99% of social media users, Diesel pioneered a shift toward authenticity that the industry is still chasing today.
Creative Strategy Deconstructed
Company
Diesel's heritage of irony and its 'For Successful Living' brand philosophy.
Category
Fashion brands obsessively chasing high-tier influencers for social media validation.
Customer
Regular people feeling exhausted by the curated, fake perfection of influencer culture.
Culture
The growing cultural fatigue and cynicism toward the performative nature of social media.
Company
Diesel's heritage of irony and its 'For Successful Living' brand philosophy.
Category
Fashion brands obsessively chasing high-tier influencers for social media validation.
Strategy:
Invert category hierarchies to empower the overlooked majority through a functional reward system.
Customer
Regular people feeling exhausted by the curated, fake perfection of influencer culture.
Culture
The growing cultural fatigue and cynicism toward the performative nature of social media.
Strategy:
Invert category hierarchies to empower the overlooked majority through a functional reward system.
Results
The campaign achieved a significant "jump in online sales" during the first week of the Side Biz launch. It successfully transformed thousands of regular customers into active brand ambassadors, effectively democratizing influencer marketing. The initiative was recognized with a Gold Lion in Social & Influencer, and three Silver Lions across Creative eCommerce, Brand Experience & Activation, and Direct. It also secured two Gold Clio Awards for Direct and Print, and a D&AD Wood Pencil for Press & Outdoor. The platform allowed users to monetize their social presence without contracts or minimum follower counts, shifting the focus from the 'influential elite' to the 99% of social media users.
Gold
Cannes Lion for Social & Influencer
99%
Focus on non-influencer social media users
1st Week
Significant jump in online sales reported
Strategy Technique
Flip the Conventional Wisdom
While competitors chased high-tier influencers, Diesel took the opposite stance, mocking influencer culture to build authenticity and democratize brand advocacy for the 99% of social media users.
Explore Technique
Creative Technique
Reverse Expectations
The campaign flipped the industry standard of idolizing influencers by mocking their 'hard work' and glorifying the ease of being a follower, then rewarding followers for their loyalty.
Explore Technique
Craft Breakdown
The campaign masterfully uses radical irony and surrealist aesthetics to mock digital perfection while simultaneously building a functional, democratized e-commerce infrastructure.
Collaborated with Toiletpaper magazine creators to produce hyper-saturated, surreal visuals that define the brand's ironic tone.
Developed a seamless affiliate platform that allowed any customer to generate unique URLs and monetize their social presence instantly.
The 'Be a Follower' positioning subverts industry tropes with a witty, self-deprecating voice that resonates with Gen Z authenticity.
Utilized the legendary duo Pierpaolo Ferrari and Maurizio Cattelan to capture high-fashion imagery that mocks high-fashion effort.
The magic lies in the contrast between the high-gloss, 'influencer-style' production value and the mundane, relatable 'follower' reality it celebrates.
