Diesel Pre-Fall 2023 Ad Campaign Review

Review of Diesel Pre-Fall 2023 Ad Campaign by Art Director Christopher Simmonds and Photographer Marili Andre with models Tommy Cash

Diesel takes us on a cultish trip to the heart of Dieseltopia with its new Pre-Fall 2023 campaign. Creative director Glenn Martens teamed up with art director Christopher Simmonds and photographer Marili Andre to create the campaign, while rapper and idiosyncratic fashion icon Tommy Cash stars.

A frequent fashion week sight over the past few runway seasons, where he is unmistakable with his all-out conceptual looks, Estonian rapper Tommy Cash here embodies the Diesel clan’s enigmatic guru leader. Across the campaign imagery, he leads the followers of the cult of D as they engage in rituals that exalt the house’s codes of individualism, humor, and rebellion.

The accompanying short film deploy jerky lo-fi cinematography to capture these Kool-Aid drinkers in action, as if we are witnessing unearthed footage of the esoteric new-age hype-house ceremonies or subliminal brain-wash videography.

The styling sees the cult members declare their loyalty through logomania. The collection is chock full of Diesel’s Oval D insignia, which boldly blazes across denim, accessories, and of course the brand’s must-have 1DR bag, where it first appeared.

In this connection, the campaign feels like an irreverent and subversive exploration of logomania and cult products. Diesel hyperbolizes its own brand identity and symbology, evincing the ritualistic and almost darkly magical aspects of mass consumerism and merchandizing. These cult members have signed their souls and bodies over to the D. And when they make it look so stylish and fun, who wouldn’t?

It’s another excellent continuation of the gonzo creative collaboration between Martens and Simmonds, who have deftly positioned Diesel’s communications as a breakneck trip into the manic and saturated heart of consumer culture that are as thoughtful as they are over the top.