Diesel’s Fuel For Life PR release.

Aka, their Fuel For Life creative brief. On one hand, it’s cool that brands and agencies think enough of the traffic here to hit me up with releases, I really do. On the other though, just sending one out with no greeting while jumping right into things seems like a sure way to get it deleted. I get a bunch of stuff and run most everything from anyone, because well, I’m a content whore. Unless Tim at AdFreak or Steve/Angela at AdRants already have something up. Then it’s like, no sense in me posting it unless I can make some wiseass remark about it or I have an angle on it that I think needs mentioning.

But a few things really seemed odd/funny/shit you don’t do about Diesel’s email to me. First, it’s the 30th and the PR release came out three days ago. Ok, I may be slow on the uptake, but we stopped using Pony Express as a means of delivery a long time ago, why the delay.

Second, the length of this thing. Look, especially for an edgy brand like them, (which I liked their previous stuff btw), just keep it short.

“Hey (name), what’s going on. Just thought you’d like to check out our new campaign. Here’s the url when you have a sec. (Agency) helped us with it. It’s getting some attention. If you have any questions beyond the campaign info here (link), feel free to contact us. Thanks!”

Fucking DONE. Or something like that. I’ll either dig it off that alone, or hate it. I don’t have time for more than that. Save all the rest for the account peeps to convince themselves they have a hot campaign. If bloggers like it, we’ll find our own way into the story and post about regardless of any spin you spin.

Funniest thing though is not only didn’t they bother to look up my name, but they openly included every other major blogger’s email address they sent it to. I won’t include them here, and most are public–I think most are at least–but that’s not the point. That feels rude for some reason.

How about a Bcc, FFL, and maybe take a little time to get to know your bloggers. Wine us, dine us, then make your move. So you’ll no doubt see this in other places, but for me, I instead give you the entire creative brief masquerading as PR release exactly as it came to me–and the passwords to their media site.

Enjoy kids:

___________________________________________

FFL Paris launches worldwide Fuel For Life, the new Diesel perfume

August 27th 2007, FFL Paris creates and launches a 360° worldwide communication platform for the new fragrance Fuel For Life by Diesel.

In harmony with Diesel’s well known original and twisted approach to creativity, Fred&Farid and their teams, took the challenge of producing a campaign that is both innovating and sensual; they managed to take the perfume communication world one step-up, defying all conventions. As Diesel keeps reinventing itself.

This breaking-up with conventions applies in different levels:

Challenging traditional objectives

More than your basic campaign, FFL Paris, came up with a communication strategy, that uses all of it’s forms: internet, TV, Print, etc, all of them complementing each other and achieving in this way a complete and solid structure.

Challenging the concept and the message

Traditionally, perfume campaigns consist of clichés of abstract, utopian visuals, representing some sort of seduction. They normally limit themselves to one film and a print visual taken in most cases, from the film itself.

In response to this perception, FFL Paris came up with a strong concept, based on hedonism, nourishing it with the lifestyle of a modern Great Gatsby. The product is showed as “A Sexy & Energetic Elixir”, a source of voluptuous pleasure and freedom, far from the usual language used in perfume communications.

Another step away from tradition will be not sticking to one message, but broadcasting many: each of the 6 films, shows a different profile of the fragrance, making Fuel For Life a “meta”-perfume with a jubilatory mix of freedom, hedonism, rebellion and life. The very first perfume with a plural positioning, using each portrait to show a different facet of the fragrance.

Challenging conventions in terms of representation

Stepping out of stereotypes, that usually show top models or movie stars, Fuel For Life is an ode to pluralism, to diversity, far away from the “Hollywoodsation” of the perfume industry. Also the campaign stages eight different characters instead of the average only one-star campaign.

Since CK One, no brand had been able to create a campaign where diversity is portrayed without using a group picture. Here FFL Paris have succeeded in creating a vision of a modern melting pot, using the portraits of men and women. In short words: a contemporary campaign with a very strong community spirit.

Challenging the conventional codes in artistic direction

By positioning the fragrance as “A Sexy & Energetic Elixir”, FFL Paris has developed a premium timeless artistic direction concept. Using the rich visual codes of the beginning of the 20th century (period of time when these magic elixirs were flourishing), FFL Paris obtained an elegant and premium look, that takes the audience by surprise making it loose all sense of timing, looking at the visuals we don’t longer know if we’re in the past or the future.

It is this retro-modern look and feel, which immediately captured the attention of Nick Knight, the English A-list fashion photographer, who chose the project as a challenge to break with the rules of convention and as way to expand his own vision.

Challenging communication structures and storytelling conventions

FFL Paris has adopted an original and innovative storytelling approach for this launch. It started with the creation of an association against the legalization of the product on the web: Society Against Legalisation (SAL), and a website www.nolegalization.com.

First phase: During a period of 15 days, street guerrilla activities and two virals: “T-shirts” and “Paintings”, created in collaboration with the artist Phil Hansen, Introduced the enigma on the web. In parallel, three enigmatic virals “Disappearance” “No” and “Give us a hand” promoted the legalization of the coming product. The curiosity to find out the product’s identity started to build up ghastly.
In addition to this viral web strategy, street marketing, SAL (Society Against Legalization) propaganda and animations at the different retail points promoting to ban the product helped to develop the buzz. FFL Paris using the modern communication tools, such as: YouTube, Daily Motion, Goggle and several blogs managed to expand and reached a huge audience, making this teasing campaign a true success.

The core of the scheme arriving on August 27th :

On WebTV, 6 leading spots shot by Laurence Dunmore (others will follow on December) embrace a unique and surprising scenario. Each commercial is an emotional portrait that opens with the question “Are you Alive?” and then takes us to scene where the surreal and real are tangled; is it a dream or is it real? What happens next? What happened before? The spectator is left with this frustration of not knowing, giving way to imaginative responses.
Each woman and each man illustrates a unique experience, a facet of the Fuel For Life fragrance. These intense stolen moments, sensual and exceptional compose an impacting scenery, unseen before in the perfume communication. Each portrait is built upon this structure and fully embodies the subversive language of the Diesel Brand.

In addition a complete 360 disposal : with magazines, newspapers, billboards, giant canvas, retail animations. The exclusive-retro-modern atmosphere and the eight portraits shot by Nick Knight were presented in several countries (France, USA, UK, Italy, Germany…) and the fragrance displayed on every customer crucial meeting point. The ultra premium device “A Sexy & Energetic Elixir” thought by FFL Paris’s media teams came in aid to elevate the impact, repetition and high visibility of the campaign.
Billboards and giant canvas can be seen all over the world: Time Square, Dubai, Miami airport, the Galleries Lafayette façade, etc.
Diesel fully cooperated, giving total access to all its boutiques worldwide expanding in this way the retail platform. An experiential website capturing the atmosphere, iconography and concept of the ad campaign was added to Diesel’s official website: www.diesel.com.

You’ll find all creations on the FTP site (please do not diffuse the site address)

ftp://194.3.125.35
username : FFL_Journaliste
password : 65+10=75


Contact@fflparis.com

Tags: Fuel For Life, FFL, Diesel