Be a Follower, Not an Influencer, Says Diesel

Everybody wants to be an influencer today. Becoming known on social media can lead to fast fame and vast fortune. But will living your most Instagrammable life really make you happier?

In its spring/summer 2019 campaign for Diesel, Publicis Italy thumbs its nose at social media cliches by highlighting the pitfalls of being an influencer - and contrasting them with the advantages of being a follower - in a trio of ads directed by Good People's Ali Ali.

Take those fabulous designer sandals you've been gifted. They might look great in your latest #shoefie, but they're not exactly conducive to spontaneous nookie, being the very devil to remove in the throes of passion. (You could, of course, always keep them on).

Undress

Or the requirement to capture every plate of #foodporn on camera: the blimmin' meal is probably stone cold and inedible by the time you've arranged the chopsticks just so and moved the ugly condiment bottle out of shot. Ordinary Joes, meanwhile, can rip into a juicy burrito and not think twice about the fact it's dripping bean juice down their shirt.

Food 

And don't get us started on travel. No self-respecting influencer would depart on even an overnight trip without at least five outfit changes. Which stacks up to a heavy old luggage trolley with a hefty excess baggage bill to match. You envy those carefree souls who can chuck a spare pair of knickers and a passport into their backpack. But you've simply got to have all bases covered, hon!

Traveller

The clever wink-wink nudge-nudge element of this campaign is that Diesel have enlisted real influencers -  Jennifer Grace (@thenativefox), Kristen Crawley (@kristennoelcrawley), the twins @amixxamiaya and @ayaxxamiaya, Elias Riadi (@eliasriadi) and Bloody Osiris (@bloodyosiris) - who are in on the joke, and aren't afraid to poke fun and exaggerate their digital personas.

In addition to the video content, the campaign includes a selection of key visuals shot by Toiletpaper’s Pierpaolo Ferrari and Maurizio Cattelan.