Stupid Is The New Smart

In 2010, Diesel, a famous clothing brand, launched an advertising campaign called “Be Stupid”. This campaign made me think about the discussions we had in class concerning the image that companies try to build for themselves. With this campaign, Diesel is trying to show that its customers are “stupid”, rather than smart. And since traditionally smart people are always more valued than “stupid” people, Diesel is trying to reverse the roles by presenting “stupid” as cool. By “stupidity”, the brand means the recklessness and spontaneity that is typically seen in young people. However, what bothers me in this advertisement is that is promotes “stupidity”, while devaluing intelligence. Phrases such as “Smart has the plans, stupid has the stories”, carry the message that people who think carefully before acting are boring, while those who are reckless are cool and adventurous. In my opinion, advertisements like these are negative for young people because they can be responsible for careless and provocative behavior and even bullying against the uninteresting “smart” people.