Diesel Stupid 19 Advertisement

Diesel Stupid 19

An advertisement such as I Stupid has two purposed: to establish a brand image and personality and to cause potential customers who identify with this image to desire the product enough to buy it at a premium price in order to be associated with the brand.

The ad is intriguing because of the attempt to link the negative personal characteristic of being stupid with the positive ones of being bold and brave. The ad puts this idea in bold, bright yellow print by stating that "stupid has the balls".

At first glance, the attractive, lean model seems to be facing down an attacking tiger. The woman portrays many of the dangerous and exciting characteristics of the animal. Her extremely aggressive position mirrors that of the tiger, her teeth are bared like its fangs and her hands are positioned like striking claws. Of course, this incredibly, stupidly brave and adventurous person is wearing products by Diesel. In fact her clothes are bright red in order to emphasize that this is a brand for people who like to stand out in a crowd. After the initial impact, the viewer of the ad becomes aware that the tiger is a fake or, at most, a stuffed trophy. The animal is presented with a crown perched on its head and a rope about its neck in order to ensure that the viewer quickly grasps that it is not a real threat. This causes the lady in the Diesel outfit to appear to be having fun mocking the overly posed beast. Suddenly, the model and, by extension, the customer who associates with the brand, is not suicidally brave and stupid, but instead is socially brave and not overly concerned about seeming foolish to others. She is having the fun that the "smart" seeming person would miss out on.

Whether or not this ad is effective in achieving the company's goals is dependent on a large enough number of potential customers "getting" the joking message. If they don't, there

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