“Successful Living”

 Client: Diesel

In 1993 DIESEL JEANS Italy hired Pierre Winther to pave the way for a new direction in image and style. In collaboration with the Diesel HQ and the agency Paradiset from Stockholm, Winther created and realized the campaign „Successful Living“ which combined a complex staging and grotesque scenarios such as a car crash or a bizarre church event. The campaign broke the pattern of common perception: The images caused a worldwide hype; consumers collected the sought after posters and other materials. The Diesel brand itself experienced a quantum leap in the matter of image that evolved to one of the leading Denim brands around the globe. It paved the way for Diesel´s founder Renzo Rosso to become one of the most successful fashion entrepreneurs in the world with a net worth of $3 billion.

Outtake Interview with Pierre Winther : 

Winther:“ Autumn 1992 

Autumn 1992 , Diesel Jeans and their then-agency in Stockholm approached me to work on a fresh new idea for their Successful Living campaign, which had been successful in commenting on consumers’ illusory ability to provide simple solutions to a better way of living. It was presented in some kind of collage-image of 1992-1993 look and Diesel was looking for something new and fresh for the next step. I suggested we go one step further and create a world with providing profound social messages that offered ethical, political and even philosophical discourse in a strong colourful visual Fellini like world, but still kept real and believable. I depicted these themes in a more contemporary way that to this day provokes both a grimace and a grin.” I came up with the first campaign ideas, such as the car crash and the house from above and others followed. That´s why my role was very different to the role of other photographers, The new Diesel world was created and it was the kick off for the new imagery to the Successful Living campaign for many years, starting with my work in 1993