Sustainability IS sexy–according to Diesel
Diesel releases a second season of its original documentary series, Behind the Denim. The new season consists of three episodes, the first of which has just been released: Heroes and Icons. Directed by Marco Proserpio, the series is produced in collaboration with Create Sustain, “a love child of a creative agency and a sustainability consultancy.” Host, Lea Ogunlami, chats with members of the Diesel team, including creative director Glenn Martens, to discuss the brand’s responsible denim production. The series spotlights Diesel’s signature showgirl–denim, along with sustainable practices and methodologies behind it.
Episode six: Heroes and Icons, follows Ogunlami through a showroom unveiling various denim shapes and styles. Martens emphasizes the intricacies of Diesel denim and the “red thread” connecting the brand’s catalog back to its origin in 1978. In Martens’s words, “denim has a soul,” and this series underscores Diesel’s dedication to recycling and extending the life of its denim. In the past four years, the percentage of Diesel denim made from organic, recycled, or regenerative cotton has grown from three percent to over fifty percent.
The format of these episodes pushes the boundaries of short-form media while still delivering a strong message in a short time. Heroes and Icons runs just about four minutes long. Like the other episodes, it blends 2000s-style camcorder footage with modern selfie-style vlog segments. Its jagged, high-energy rhythm and vivid visuals keep viewers hooked, even as it defies the 15-second attention span standard of modern media.
Diesel’s Behind the Denim is available on all Diesel social platforms. Through an inventive, documentary-style approach, this campaign merges Diesel’s mission of sustainability with the brand’s trademark sensual edge.
