After a while, all ads for designer sunglasses start to look the same. There's only so much you can do with a seductive waif or grease-covered Adonis looking disaffectedly at the camera in a pair of oversized shades. So, rather than try to break the mold, Diesel's latest eyewear spot from Poke in London keeps the sartorial stereotypes intact—but makes the slight adjustment of replacing the human models with canine counterparts.
The video opens with a regal-looking poodle lounging on an ornate chaise while wearing an enormous pair of sunglasses that, to be honest, look pretty good on her. Shifting to widescreen, we get the "bad boy" (bad dog?), a rather rugged-looking animal who enjoys doesn't mind getting down and dirty while keeping watch over his motorcycle. Our third model is the quintessential boho-chic beauty—which, in this case, translates to an Afghan hound wearing round frames—who is given the psychedelic treatment as her hair flies in the prairie wind. Last, there's the dark, brooding Doberman, his eyes obscured by a pair of black aviators as a single $100 bill falls slowly in a sparse room. (Can a dog be a drug kingpin?)
What's bizarrely brilliant is that, apart from the species of the models, each scene in this spot is exactly like a million other fashion ads you've already seen—same overused setting, same dramatic slow-motion shot, same electronic beats. But with some strategic recasting, Diesel turns an advertising cliché into a parody. Or maybe they just thought it would be easier to work with dogs than a bunch of strung-out models.
CREDITS
Client: Diesel Sunglasses
Agency: Poke, London
