Diesel Reboots with Collaborative Creativity

Tapping into the consumer trend for online curation and self-documentation, Italian apparel brand Diesel’s Fall/Winter 2013 campaign features 20 up-and-coming New York-based creative influencers discovered through image-sharing site Tumblr. 

Prior to the selection, Diesel’s artistic director and avid Tumblr user Nicola Formichetti launched a ‘call to action’ video on a branded Diesel Reboot Tumblr page, which asked followers to co-curate the page using #dieselreboot, while also responding to the latest videos’ themes, such as ‘break something’ or ‘iconic’.

Formichetti then selected 20 campaign models – largely through the micro-blogging site – calling on those who showed a strong sense of online self-expression. Those chosen include 15-year-old aspiring filmmaker Helen Primack, androgynous model Casey Legler, and 22-year-old pink-haired graffiti artist, Michelle Calderon.

“The idea for this campaign was to feature the new heroes of today’s generation: the digital influencers and creators,” said Formichetti. The finished Diesel Reboot portraits are imprinted with the hashtag #dieselreboot and the models’ social media presence, connecting the world to their strong digital identity.

Formichetti is an advocate for a new generation of young consumers keen to express themselves online through social media, micro-blogging and image curation sites such as Pinterest. To further explore how to connect with this internet-savvy demographic, see Visualise Me: Curation and the Tastegraph, Instagram's Super-Boggers, Instagram's Rising Menswears Stars and New Brand Ambassadors.