Stupid wins!

Diesel’s Stupid Ad Campaign Earns Award & Ban

Alisa Gould-Simon // July 01, 2010

Chances are you've seen Diesel's latest controversial ad campaign called 'Be Stupid.' There's Pixie Geldof riding backwards on the handlebars of a bike (in 4-inch heels no less) and a striking brunette clad solely in a bikini taking a photograph of her nether regions while an irritated lion looks on. No, it's not the smartest ad campaign, but then, they knew that. Brain cells aside, Diesel did manage to score a pretty prestigious award thanks to the campaign. "Anomaly, creator of Diesel's 'be stupid' ad campaign... [won] the Grand Prix for outdoor advertising at this year's Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival," says Fast Company.

While Diesel’s manifesto on idiocy has found quit a few fans in the ad world, it’s managed to piss off the Brits.The British Advertising Standards Authority has in fact banned some of the same ads that were being toasted in Cannes just weeks prior. “Diesel’s ‘Be Stupid’ campaign, which featured female models flashing their (mostly unseen) breasts at security cameras and snapping crotch shots of themselves, has been blasted by the ad watchdog for being indecent and antisocial, according to the paper,” says Stylist. Chalk it up to a simple case of British conservatism and French adoration of all things titillating. Regardless, in the fashion ad space all press is good press. Meaning, boycotts and all, this controversial campaign has proven to be anything but its slogan.