Diesel earned its brand provocateur status through decades of surprising stunts and taboo-busting ads, and its latest collaboration with Durex shows it’s not stopping now.

The Renzo Rosso-founded fashion house rose to fame in the ’90s for creative like “Kissing Sailors,” which showed two men locking lips, and billboards that depicted the Virgin Mary wearing its jeans. More recently, ads from photographer David LaChapelle took a stand against former President Trump, punctuated by a rainbow-colored tank facing a naked man.

When Milan Fashion Week opened in late February, the brand entered its next era with a “sex positive” denim collection from creative director Glenn Martens. The show teased an accompanying apparel capsule collection in partnership with sexual wellbeing brand Durex featuring T-shirts, hats and more, due to launch this spring.

“Sex positivity is something amazing,” Martens said after the show. “We like to play at Diesel, and we are serious about it. Have fun, respect each other, be safe.” 

A mountain of 200,000 condoms greeted the fashion glitterati at the catwalk show, with the props becoming a focal point for models to walk around. Several guests were pictured nestled among the pile of what the Italians call a preservativo. Ahead of the presentation, Diesel sent invites to guest in the form of condom boxes.

This isn’t new territory for the Italian label. In 2022, Diesel partnered with Swedish sex tech brand Lelo on a series of limited-edition sex toys. Its tie-up with Durex will go beyond clothing as well, with the duo planning to distribute 300,000 Durex condoms in Diesel stores globally throughout April.

For Durex, the partnership forms part of its strategy to lead conversations around sexual freedom while encouraging people to be safe. The brand spent the past year positioning itself as a not just a contraceptive brand, but a lifestyle one too.

A brand awakening

Vincent Panzanella, global director of PR, culture and brand partnerships at Durex, told Adweek that the Diesel tie-up was a good opportunity to connect two brands with a storied history of being unafraid to challenge the norm.

“We knew we had a powerhouse brand [with Diesel] that shares a set of core beliefs,” he explained. “We recognized the opportunity to exponentially amplify one another’s message to both our audiences. Sexual security and freedom are a human right, and with this partnership we can bring this core belief into even greater focus.”

The pair’s marketing teams worked closely together on the Fashion Week physical experience. While bringing the idea of safe sex to the forefront was important to both brands, they were keen to highlight the pleasure aspect.

“The mound of condoms and the overlay of the music with sounds of pleasure at the show brought together this multi-sensory experience to viewers that said: ‘This is about pleasure,’” Panzanella explained.

Shareable moments like photo ops and the invitations themselves—which contained an edible thong made of candy—added another layer.

He is hoping the stunt will help drive the perception of Durex and Diesel as brands that provide consumers with a “different view of sex and safety.”

“We don’t want people to see condoms as a barrier, but as a way to assist in the pleasure of sex by removing concerns around safety,” he added.

Highlights from the show drew 8.7 million views on Diesel’s official TikTok and drove thousands of engagements across Instagram for both brands; more than 53,000 people tuned into the show’s livestream.

Durex parent company Reckitt just posted $17 billion in revenue for 2022, up 9.2% year-over-year. According to Custom Market Insights (CMI), the wider condom category is expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 8.52% through to 2030. Durex faces tough competition from challengers in the space including Skyn, Lelo’s Hex range and female-founded vegan brand Hanx.

In the U.K., the brand has been working with Havas London to ensure it stays top of mind for consumers. Post-lockdown, it celebrated a return to sexual liberty with a series of billboards depicting giant condom wrappers that simply said “Freedom.”

More recently, it has undertaken work to understand how it can better support LGBTQ+ customers as part of its #SexMyWay initiative designed to educate, inform and encourage self-acceptance.

In 2021, it also partnered with rapper Lil Nas X for his “That’s What I Want” video, which showed the artist opening a Durex packet with his teeth in the heat of the moment. The collaboration was designed to center Durex’s identity on embracing sexual fluidity within the LGBTQ+ community, tapping into Lil Nas X’s icon status to connect with fans.

“Becoming a true lifestyle brand is about popping up where our people live and breathe,” said Panzanella, pointing to ongoing Durex partnerships with musicians including Yungblud and Sam Smith.

“Fashion was the space we hadn’t yet tapped, and we were thrilled to have had such a great partner in Diesel for our first endeavor into the space,” he added. “But we’re excited to have even more partnerships coming down the pipeline as well.”