Diesel starts campaign against counterfeiting

By taking advantage of the latest technology, Diesel has achieved a “substantial decrease in the number of counterfeit Diesel products” on the market. Renowned Italian fashion powerhouse denim brand OTB has been closely monitoring the market in this ongoing fight against counterfeiting, and the results have been impressive.

With the rise of the digital realm, the online shopping sphere has witnessed an explosive rise, accompanied by the increasing risks associated with counterfeiting. In this context, the Diesel brand has undertaken a strategic offensive aimed specifically at the online trade in counterfeit products, as well as the platforms that host them, including websites specialized in the resale of second-hand items. Furthermore, the brand's prominence has increased significantly, especially since the appointment of Glenn Martens, creative director of Y/Project, who assumed leadership of Diesel collections in October 2020, making its products highly coveted.

In a recent press release, the denim brand stated: “Since the beginning of 2023, a total of 80,000 counterfeit Diesel products have been seized, especially in China, Turkey and Kosovo. A total of 27,000 advertisements for various counterfeit products on platforms in “500 imitation Diesel websites have been removed and closed.”

Renzo Rosso, President of OTB and Founder of Diesel, proudly stated in the press release: “Counterfeiting is one of the risks that companies face when they are very successful. I am very proud of how Diesel is addressing the challenge of these violations. taking proactive measures and using increasingly advanced technologies that we are really proud of.”

Since 2017, the company has collaborated with Certilogo, an Italian firm specialized in product authentication, which counts numerous luxury brands among its clients. Together they have developed a system that allows product authentication using a unique QR code and a twelve-digit numerical code. This distinctive digital identity is applied to all items through a specially designed label. Initially introduced for its iconic jeans, this authentication feature was progressively extended to all other Diesel products starting in 2021. This system allows customers to verify the authenticity of their purchases using the QR code on their own mobile devices or through the platform Certilologist.

It is worth noting that, in 2021, OTB Group joined the Aura Blockchain Consortium, an initiative led by industry titans such as LVMH, Prada and Cartier (owned by the Richemont group). This consortium takes advantage of blockchain technology to guarantee the authenticity and traceability of products, as well as the creations of its member brands, thus combating counterfeiting through the strong security of this digital framework.

Diesel is not the first fashion brand to take a proactive stance against this threat. Luxury brands invest significant resources every year to combat this phenomenon which, despite their efforts, continues to maintain a worrying level of activity.

According to a study presented on January 16 by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), counterfeit products cost the European clothing, cosmetics and toy sectors a staggering €16 billion a year. which causes the loss of almost 200,000 jobs.