In the face of rules and machines, freedom and human authenticity. That is the contrast expressed in “Born to disobey”, the campaign with which the fashion brand Desigual has presented its autumn/winter collection for this year. Starring Vivian Wilson, Elon Musk’s eldest daughter, it seeks to reinforce Desigual’s personality as a brand that is daring and proud of being different.
Desigual claims authenticity over perfection
The campaign, created by the company’s internal team, advocates authenticity over perfection as an almost radical act in a world of strict rules. The objective is none other than to highlight the rebellious spirit and disruptive character of Desigual, known internationally for its original style based on colors and patterns. And it does so by swimming against the current of the sector, with a piece that, far from embracing artificial intelligence and automation, opposes it. “The campaign vindicates authenticity, free will and personality in a world increasingly dominated by technology, algorithms and the search for perfection“, they explain from the brand in a statement.
The announcement was made by the PSG director trio and stars the model and influencer Vivian Wilson, who on numerous occasions has been contrary to her father’s vision and philosophy. In this sense, he appears interacting with a robot, called Desi84 – alluding to the naming and the year the brand was founded – and clearly inspired by Optimus, the humanoid that Tesla has been working on for years.
As the ad progresses, Vivian puts the robot in various situations for which it has not been trained: using it as a golf ball holder or walking it like a dog on a leash. All this while Vivian tries to teach him to say “Unequal”, a task that the machine is unable to undertake because it does not fit into its configuration and in which it fails miserably, which ends up causing it to collapse.
The brand believes that Vivian Wilson naturally embodies the message they send about authenticity and disobedience. “His decision to publicly defend his identity, even in the face of his father’s estrangement after his transition, reflects a free and irreverent personality that represents a generation that does not seek to fit in, but rather express itself from its own identity.“, they explain.
The robot, according to Little Black Bookhas been played by a human actor seeking naturalness and emotion, rather than the rigorous appearance and movements of a machine. However, we have worked with a special effects team to finalize its appearance and presence in the piece. This analog and traditional approach to production accompanies and emphasizes the positioning that Desigual proposes in the advertisement.
In this sense, the campaign works on two levels. On the one hand, at a tactical level, promote the brand’s new collection, publicizing the different garments and accessories that make it up and that are already available in stores. On the other hand, it reinforces Desigual in the defense of the human and the spontaneous at a time when users demand authentic connections and human creativity in the face of AI.
Desigual carries its particular invitation to disobedience with a t-shirt that includes the slogan “Born to Disobey”, thus encouraging consumers to challenge expectations, question what is established and remember that, in a world conquered by technology and robots, the most disobedient act is still being oneself.
The rest of the garments are based on denim, color and silhouettes, articulated as tools to question the established and celebrate authenticity over perfection.
The launch of “Born to disobey” occurred at the same time as the campaign to promote the brand’s limited collection with the Ottolinger brand, and which has generated controversy due to its portrait of Barcelona. In it he alluded in an ironic tone to gentrification and mass tourism in the city, which has been received with criticism from consumers. The brand has apologized, admitting that it was not the place for humor, at the same time that it has stated that the carefree and uninhibited spirit has been part of what Desigual has been since its origins.
