Be Stupid

I saw the words 'be stupid' covering a shop window in Glasgow. Searching it on the net comes up with the advertising campaign these images are from. The phrases are thought provoking - opposing creativity and crtique, 'stupid' and 'smart'. The 'beautiful' models appeal at a base physical level. It's great advertising.

The proposal/encouragement/instruction 'Be Stupid' seems to say, break the rules, have fun, don't think. On the Diesel website their catalogue goes into more detail. Everything from 'storming the bastille and throwing open the jail cell doors' to whistling while you work is stupid. Stupid is also 'the first guy who realized you could extract and synthesize the humble coca leaf in to a fine, white snortable powder'. So cocaine and whistling are both stupid. That high fashion cocaine culture literally filters down onto high street windows is pretty weird.

This is what the Diesel head man says of his target audience: '[young people] have changed a lot. Ten years ago they were more like sheep, everyone wore the same things, now they are more individual, more aware, they are better educated, they know reality better, ten years ago they were more naive'. It almost sounds like respect until you realise that he's implying that education amounts to young people dressing more individually, in his jeans (in the same interview he explains that he wants his company to remain smaller and more elite than Levi's).

In some of the 'Be Stupid' images they are tearing off each others' clothes, in others eating food. The association is with consumption. I think that when it says 'stupid says yes', they are not expecting their viewers to invent things or cause change. They're offering them a light hearted, semi arousing visual experience that makes them feel reckless, like doing something stupid. This is the state of mind they think will encourage people to buy their clothes.