Diesel is a famous Italian brand of jeans and casual fashion label, that was established in 1976 by Enzo Rosso. Today the iconic brand is one of the most loved and respected jeans label in the world, and is highly recognizable due to its style and celebrity advertising campaigns.
The famous Italian brand Diesel has its origins in 1978. That’s when Renzo Rosso and Adriano Goldschmid decided to found a clothing company.
The name was not chosen by chance: the word is understandable, pronounced in the same way in all languages, and attracts with its coarseness.
At the time, there was an oil crisis in Europe. Diesel fuel, being more economical, was the solution, and the word itself symbolized a whole new philosophy. It was a kind of avant-garde, a new wave, signifying a new approach to life.
In 1991, Diesel launched its first advertising campaign, “For Successful Living,” earning a reputation as a successful developer of new ideas in marketing.
Despite extremely rapid growth, Diesel’s brand philosophy has remained unchanged since its inception in 1978, in the words of Renzo Rosso: “I see a brand that embodies passion, individuality, and self-expression.
What is Diesel?
Diesel is the name of a legendary Italian fashion brand, which was established at the end of the 1970s, and today is strongly associated withchic denim garments. Diesel is one of the leading denim brands in the world, with its boutiques in dozens of cities across the globe.
You can come across an old version, where a red “D” icon is added to the bold wordmark.
Here, the “D” is highly stylized. Apparently, it symbolizes a tomahawk (a reference to their Mohican logo).
Like in the current Diesel logo, the wordmark features a heavy sans serif typeface. Yet, here, the letters are higher, which makes the design lighter.
The Diesel logo is laconic and minimalist yet it is instantly recognizable. The brand has a rich history and its name is one of the legends of a casual fashion industry.
The logo is composed of a wordmark enclosed in a rectangular frame. It has two options of the color palette — a classic monochrome, with black lettering, and red and white color scheme, where the white wordmark is placed in a red background.
Red color symbolizes energy and progress of the brand, while white add a sense of expertise and authority.
The bold and grotesque font of the all-caps nameplate is Franklin Gothic Extra Condensed, which was designed by Morris Fuller Benton. It is a very strong typeface, evoking a sense of power and stability.
The Diesel logo is classic and timeless due to the typeface and color palette. It reflects the brand’s confidence and strength, while showing the importance of design and quality for the label.
During its history, brand had a few different logos, one of them was a memorable image of the Mohican, enclosed in a circle with “Diesel Only The Brave” lettering around its perimeter. The logo became iconic, it was a representation of the brand’s free spirit and unique character.
The massive and solid Diesel logotype is executed in a custom extended sans-serif typeface with extra-thick lines and distinct edges of the letters. Each of the symbols of the brand’s wordmark can easily live on its own, making a minimalist icon with a strong masculine character. The Diesel typeface looks pretty close to such fonts as FF Signa Pro Extended Extra Black, Nuber Next Black Extended, and Cairoli Classic Extended Heavy.
Though the official version of the logo is executed in a monochrome palette, the classy and timeless combination, it can sometimes be accompanied by red details or background, which elevates the passionate and rebellious character of the brand, showing it as young and progressive.