The document provides an overview of Diesel's brand identity and evolution from 1978 to present. It discusses key moments in the company's history under founder Renzo Rosso, stylistic elements of their collections, marketing campaigns, and retail presence. The brand cultivates a rebellious spirit through provocative ads and stores designed to feel like a "cool friend's loft." However, observations showed staff did not fit this lifestyle image. The summary analyzes Diesel's social media presence and challenges in appealing to new generations while staying true to its roots. Suggestions are made to further collaborate with music and use social media influencers to engage millennials.

1. Nic Zdunich

2. Creating the Empire
1978 1979 1985 1989 1996
Renzo Rosso bought
40% of Moltex
company
Founding of Diesel &
first men Denim
collection
Renzo Rosso completed
the acquistion of the
company
First women Denim
collection
First Flagshipstores in
NY, London & Rome

3. Sustaining the Empire
1995 1999 2003 2007 2013
First Online Store
Arrives on the Internet
Diesel Kids & 55DSL
Introduced
Ranked #15 Among
Worldwide Luxury
Brands
Introduction of the
Diesel Black Gold
Collection
Nicola Formichetti
Becomes Art
Director

4. Who is the Customer?

5. Who We Saw: David
About David:
David is a 38 year-old man who works as a manager for an energy
company. Diesel was quite new and exciting in his youth. He started
shopping there shortly after University. During our visit he was seen
shopping for clothes for himself and his two sons. David isn‘t a
trendsetter, instead he enjoys spending his time at the lake with the
family and friends, eating at sushi restaurants, and watching football
with friends.
David Chooses Diesel to find high-quality clothes that are consistant and
trendy enough to suit his lifestyle. David has shopped here for years so
knows how to find what he wants quickly and prefers to shop alone
without a sales assistant.
Quick Facts:
Favorite Movie: Fight Club
Favorite Band: Radiohead
Drives: Audi A3

6. Who We Saw: Anya
About Anya:
Anya likes to shop. Anya likes brands, you can tell because while
shopping at Diesel she was deccorated with a Louis Vuitton handbag,
Ray Ban glasses, Nike shoes, and Lulu lemon pants. She works as as a
television sales women in Shang-Hai and is in Milan to shop.
High-end brands weren‘t always attainable for Anya, but in recent
years she has received a higher salary that allows her to shop. She is 31
with no kids, but is in a serious relationship. She likes to think she is a
trendsetter. To her Diesel isn‘t a lifestyle, it‘s another piece to her
collection of brand name products.
Quick Facts:
Favorite Movie: The Princess
Bride
Favorite Band: 2NE1
Drives: Bacjun 730

7. - STYLISTIC IDENTITY -

8. Stylistic Identity Stylistic Identity
Diesel.com: Taken 06/05/2015
Colors Fabrics/Materials Fashion Content
Diesel’s collections ALWAYS consist
of cool neutral colors that contain
many shades of blue (denim), brown,
tan, black. Occasionally other colors
are used.
Diesel uses high quality denim and
leather based out of Braganze, Italy.
Diesel uses studs as accents in
many pieces and shirts are generally
100% cotton.
Diesel clothing fits into a
Basic/Trend Category, but primarily a
high end basic. This is because of
the casual/distressed looks of its
products.

9. Stylistic Identity Stylistic Identity
Price Range M/W: Bridge Style/Product Category Observation
Average Jeans Price: €350
Average Jacket Price: €640
Average T-shirt Price: €125
Diesel wants you to live a Diesel lifestyle. The
promote a fun/wild energy that is evident in all the
products.
They grew with the brand in it’s millennium hay-day
and now encompass the lifestyle alongside the
kids and in the home. Products aren’t for
trendsetters, these people are comfortable with life
but still want to feel young and rebellious.
*Calculated by taking highest and lowest priced online
items, alongside two mid-priced in store items of each sex
to create an average. We discluded the Black & Gold
Collection from this calculation.
Diesel.com: Taken 06/05/2015
Diesel style is modern/contemporary
as can be seen in the above
mentioned claims. Diesel wants you
to create a total look from the stores.
It’s made for daily wear for drinks,
shopping, travel, and all daily tasks.

10. Retail Layout
Flagship Store
Piazza San Babila 1/3
3 Levels
Store Highlights:
“The Diesel World” Cafe
Innovative Technology:
Interactive mirror: Diesel 360
Basement: Men’s Wear
Ground Flood: accessories, watches,
perfumes, sunglasses, hats. “Jean’s
Lounge” Café, with some home
accessories,
Upstairs: Women & Children

11. Retail Mood
 Beige, brown & black
 Mainly light wood
 Metal components
 Bright & spacious rooms
 Energetic rock music for youth
 Huge rotating brushes in the
shop window
 Geometric features
THE FEEL:
Rebellious but innovative style
Avant-garde and creative.
Timeless vintage

12. The Help
× Store clerks stood in sections almost in
a military style pose watching
customers wander the store.
× They often would sneak up on you and
ask very generically "Can I help you"
before leaving
× They wore unisex uniforms consisting of
jeans and long t-shirts with a denim
print on them
× Not fun outgoing people that the ads
suggest.
Overall, it's not a comfortable experience and the
help does not fit the lifestyle.

13. - Image Identity -

14. Stylistic Identity Rebellious Spirit
Diesel as a brand NEVER takes itself to seriously. It plays off of current events to create tongue-in-cheek highly-stylized
ads that are eye catching and controversial. They take hot button topics like Global Warming and poke fun at them all
with one key concept in mind which is Be Stupid (Introduced in 2010). The campaign for Be Stupid won top prizing at
the 2010 Cannes Outdoor Grand Prix, with the Grand Prix president asking "How many global brands would have the
guts to do this?“ – This attitude is present through campaigns year, after year.
10’ 12’ 11’

15. Stylistic Identity Analysis of Ads
‘12 ‘13/‘14 ‘15
Portraits For Successful Living #DIESELREBOOT #DIESELHIGH
2012 saw Diesel use photography
as to showcase what they see as
“successful living” – in usual
fashion showed stylized versions of
what society thought would be
unsuccessful.
Diesel in 13/14 had Nicola Formichetti
leading a shift. They start focusing on
hashtag slogans, and pushing people
to the official Tumblr page. They were
inadvertently promoting a social
cause diversity with the campaigns.
2015 was a time to celebrate
diversity, and celebrate getting ‘high’
– #DieselHigh pokes fun at peoples
aggression towards getting high (in
usual rebellious form) and continues
to celebrate diversity and fun.

16. Stylistic Identity Diesel.com
Diesel.com was launched in 1995 as the first
fashion company to launch a website. Since
then it has evolved into a 2.0 Website that has
an easy, picture heavy interface for computer,
mobile, and tablet. You are greeted with large
banner ads that fill your screen (A). It’s easy to
navigate to where you want to go (B). It’s also
easy to find all social media applications and to
shop (C).
Online everything is done with large photos (D)
and simple layouts to allow users an easy
experience.
Overall, the site is about functionality and not
about creating something artistic. It is on trend
with all fashion labels.
A
B
C
D

17. 2013 / Image Identity

18. 2014 / Image Identity

19. 2015 / Image Identity

20. The Social Game
Diesel in Facebook increases the interactions between
users and diesel plus it creates a community engaging
content.
On the brands Facebook you will find Style project
involving a cross section of key influencers, diesel shop
staff, DJ’s & Bands. Tours around various stores. All images
found are linked to ecommerce.
Facebook Fans: 4.1 Million, Instagram Followers: 327 000, Twitter: 100 000.

21. The Social Game
Instagram – Strong Presence
• In Diesels Instagram there are images of in-store events and activates,
back stage at shoots, things that perpetrate for the diesel lifestyle. It is a
way of Interacting with followers, bloggers, an ambassador plus appoints
test makers.
Twitter – Strong Following
• Regular tweet or retweet, from tastemakers, bloggers or Diesel
ambassadors. The use of hashtags to start trending topics. Payment with
a tweet, tickets to events, products, etc…
Diesel is trying innovative ways to engage with consumers and is quite interactive.

22. Stylistic Identity Diesel Changes its Ways
Diesel’s Brave Materials introduced in the upcoming collections will be the first of all textiles made from hemp and
nettle. Using new, unusual and innovative fabrics in trendy everyday wear is a rising trend and Diesel will be one of the
first worldwide mainstream brands to implement sustainable fabrics into their designs. There are many good reasons
why hemp fibre should be more intensively applied in the textile and fashion industry. It is known that hemp is one of
the most durable natural fibres available, with a warm, breathable and absorbent quality. Furthermore, hemp is grown
without using chemicals, this makes it more sustainable than growing cotton.

23. Stylistic Identity Diesel Changes its Ways
Diesel brand will also start developing implementation for natural dyes and air-dying both
for Brave Materials and organic cotton fabrics produced only in environmentally friendly
methods, not damaging the health of factory workers (natural dying, sandblasting with a
machine, or bleaching).

24. Stylistic Identity Cohesive Image
Diesel is a cohesive brand lead by Renzo Rosso values that embrace the
alternative lifestyle that is to Be Stupid. A customer knows easily how to
identify a Diesel product and is invited to take life less seriously with
them. When you see an ad of a man running with a blind man (you think
Diesel), when you enter a store and are greeted with leather, denim and
studs in a rock n’ roll setting, you know you are in Diesel. The layout has
a bit of a rebellious spirit and looks like your really cool friends mega loft
with little pieces of innovative new technology to always gently remind
you that Diesel is about consistency and evolution with its image and
trying to capture your attention. But it’s not perfect…
Despite being invited to be crazy with them, you are greeted with the
opposite when you look at the sales staff. A smile is not often found as
they look like drones decked out in denim that stand almost militaristic
like in sections watching customers like a hawk. They need to watch the
1995 Cult-classic Empire Records (trailer here). Those are the sales
people that should be working at Diesel. Diesel needs to create a retail
family of individuals that sell to complete it’s image cohesiveness and
truly represent its brand.

25. Stylistic Identity New Challenges
Diesel has always been very good at adapting to trends (it was the first
fashion retailer to get a website). Within regards to it’s target audience, it has
grown with it’s customer. The youthful adults of the mid 90’s have grown up,
increased their wages and now are faithful to a brand that offers furniture,
luggage, accessories, and children’s collections. Diesel is a lifestyle. Our
observations show that loyalty is stronger for men who fit it’s target
audience. Women, are given more options from fast fashion retailers like
H&M that offer very diverse outfit options.
Diesel has however been aware of these changes as is evident with the
introduction of JOGGJEANS, and as well as is parlaying into different
materials like hemp to create new products. It’s trying to step up it’s game in
terms of CSR/Innovation and will be the first major label to offer hemp
products, this could be game changer. These changes in materials will
hopefully appeal to the millennial generation who are more environmentally
conscious then ever before. This will be crucial for millennials to get on board
with this change for Diesel to remain a trendy lifestyle choice for multiple
generations.

26. Stylistic Identity Our Thoughts
Diesel is always on top of new trends and emerging technologies, as is evident with the appointment of Nicolas Formichetti.
We would like to give a couple gentle suggestions to enhance the brand further to millennials.
Collaborate Fashion & Music Even More:
Creative Director Nicola Formichetti has a background as Creative Director for artists Like Lady Gaga has said “I feel like
music and fashion are completely symbiotic.”. We want Diesel to take collaboration one step-further and get out into the
music scene. Send Diesel ambassadors to major emerging music hubs in Shanghai, London, LA, and Rio and host pop-up
parties in clubs with emerging talent that is about to make it big.
We suggest find staff that embrace the lifestyle of Diesel and make them your ambassadors, send them into the world as
brand ambassadors. This makes the people accessible to the public in stores where they can share the experience and be
highlighted. (but of course, make sure they aren’t the current clerks)
Social Models
Utilize the Social Models as ambassadors. Calvin Klein has already very successfully done this with signing Kendall Jenner
and Justin Bieber, there ads are posted to personal social media accounts (Kendall 25mil and Justin 26mil) that are a direct
line to a millennial fan base. Vogue Magazine called them (among others) “Instagram aristocracy”. – We suggest finding less
known Instagram celebrities (luckybsmith) and partner them with your store clerks to create experiences.
Social Causes
Only The Brave foundation is not publicly talked about, it needs to embrace it’s social causes and make them present in
stores to let shoppers know they are serious the game changers in the industry. - Promote it’s social cause through
campaigns to sell the cause with the clothes (ie: Dove, Coca-Cola).
3 things you (Nicola) hope to
achieve in the next five years at
Diesel?
1. Do a lot of cool stuff.
2.Do a lot of crazy stuff.
3. Make Diesel the coolest brand
on the planet.

27. - Thank You -

28. Stylistic Identity Sources
Bazilian, Emma. 'Millennial Models Like Gigi Hadid, Fueled By Social, Are Hitting The Fashion Stratosphere'. AdWeek. N.p., 2015. Web. 7 May
2015.
Diesel.com,. 'Diesel - Jeans, Clothing, Shoes, Watches, Apparel, Underwear And Sunglasses'. N.p., 2015. Web. 7 May 2015.
Fashionmagazine.it,. 'Diesel A Roma Con La Digital Art D'avanguardia (People > Inaugurazioni) < Ricerca Di: Diesel < Home Page'. N.p., 2015.
Web. 7 May 2015.
Gwilliam, AJ. 'Nicola Formichetti Interview | Highsnobiety'. Highsnobiety. N.p., 2015. Web. 7 May 2015.
O'Connor, Clare. 'Blue Jean Billionaire: Inside Diesel, Renzo Rosso's $3 Billion Fashion Empire'. Forbes. N.p., 2013. Web. 7 May 2015.
Otbfoundation.org,. 'Only The Brave Foundation | En Cours'. N.p., 2015. Web. 7 May 2015.
The Business of Fashion,. 'Daily Digest'. N.p., 2015. Web. 7 May 2015.
Vogue,. 'Justin Bieber, Kendall Jenner, Gigi Hadid, Ansel Elgort, And More—Meet Hollywood’S New Brat Pack'. N.p., 2015. Web. 7 May 2015.