Is Diesel Stupid?

This is a very effective print ad. And the fact that the woman depicted in the ad is topless has nothing to with that. Well, not entirely. If you were to browse through a catalogue of print ads, this would be one of the few that actually catches your attention. This accomplishment can be credited to perhaps the bold colours, bold text and certainly the bold move on the woman's behalf. But after the ad has captured your attention it now faces the more difficult task of keeping it.

Certainly when one is faced with bright pink, bold text screaming, "READ ME" - one will do just that. Here's where the genius comes in. "Smart may have the brains, but stupid has the balls.". Quite catchy, isn't it. But what does it communicate to us as the audience? When you think about it, the phrase seems rather cleverly worded. It's effective and communicates the message in a smart, understandable way. But what it actually does is, it makes people WANT to be labelled 'stupid'. Which ties in perfectly with the Diesel brand's slogan, "be stupid".

The irony of this print ad is too hilarious to ignore. The ad appeals to an audience requiring the intellectual property of a moron, i.e. the stupid people. But at the same time, a stupid person would not be able to understand, never mind appreciate the print ad. Through this ad, Diesel has somehow convinced the intellectuals that being stupid is cool and fun. And what better way to be stupidly cool than by investing in a pair of over-priced Diesel jeans.