In a world where each brand is fighting to be relevant and meaningful, there isn’t much originality left when it comes to marketing. The majority of brands follow the already established. But there are a few trendsetters who keep surprising us over and over again, taking the lead when it comes to innovation.

Diesel is a brand known for its daring and memorable campaigns and out-of-the-box marketing decisions. Who else remembers their iconic “Be Stupid” philosophy from a couple of years ago that encouraged, well… being stupid? As a brand that is definitely not afraid to make an impact, they have done it again!

This time they are employing non-traditional marketing methods. Their new campaign is an ode to the digital culture, decoding the way we connect with each other in today’s world. The company has come out with custom Diesel emojis for those pesky situations where the traditional emojis just won’t do. Next to that, a campaign video referencing elements of social media is making rounds on the internet. But Diesel wouldn’t be Diesel without some controversy. So, the new strategy involves ads on Tinder, Grindr, even Pornhub and YouPorn.

The brand’s art director Nicola Formichetti has said “We need to start advertising where people go. Which is phones, iPads and digital screens, websites. Emojis are our new language, this is how we communicate now.” But why the bold choice to bring Diesel’s advertisements on adult websites? Sexuality is still a taboo in today’s world and as Formichetti puts it, the brand’s philosophy is to talk about things that not everyone else is talking about. So the next time you’re scrolling through some risqué content, you just might be confronted by Diesel’s underwear ads.

The collaboration between Diesel and Pornhub seems like an unlikely step, but as it turns out, the adult website has also been expanding its scope. This isn’t the only apparel-related endeavor that Pornhub has decided to partake in. Displaying a brave new world for adult websites, Pornhub has decided to launch an anti-domestic abuse clothing line. Although there is a fair amount of skepticism around the idea, the goal is to help domestic abuse survivors through donating 100 per cent of the proceeds to a related charity. The face of this ‘apparel for a cause’ project is adult actress Christy Mack, who is a domestic abuse survivor herself.

Brands are reaching out through platforms and mediums that have never been used before, clearly signaling a change in the established. Diesel and Pornhub are branching out to new channels, conquering territories that were never traditionally theirs. A brave new world indeed. BLEND\BUREAUX encourages thinking outside the box, because it often results in unexpected yet meaningful collaborations.

(images courtesy of Diesel and Pornhubapparel, via Dazed)