[Update attached.]

This morning, WWD ran an item about Diesel that reads in part: "Diesel is in a spending mood, increasing its already substantial advertising budget from 5 percent of sales to 7 percent for 2008. But the always unconventional label won't be spending it all with the fashion establishment. The company is planning guerilla marketing initiatives around the world and is increasingly targeting multimedia and digital communication, as well as an outdoor presence via a stepped-up billboard campaign."

"Gureilla marketing initiatives," eh?

Is that what they call it when a Diesel representative emails a blog, asks for a plug for their fragrance Fuel For Life, and offers $200 (and a sample!) for your troubles?

From an email that arrived on Monday (we've deleted the rep's name, hoping this will give her a chance to retool her strategy) from SCB Partners in the UK:

Dear Jossip team,

I love keeping up with the latest in street style through your blog, and thought you might be interested in hearing about a very cool product I've recently discovered. I am looking to get a little bit of coverage on your site and can offer $200 in return.

Just in time for the holidays, Diesel's sensual Fuel For Life fragrances have been refashioned! These perfect gift items are available as a pocket chain–with refillable fragrance cartridge–for that edgy girl or guy on the go ($75) or the limited 'Bling' edition 75 ml bottle–adorned in gilded chains and housed in a sleek black box–for the person who appreciates a supremely stylized present ($95). Both limited editions are available in Diesel stores, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdale's, Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus.

You can get a sense for how fabulous these limited editions are from the attached photos (shots of the men's fragrances are also available) and I would be happy to send you a fragrance sample. If you would like one, please reply with your full contact details, including your mailing address. For further information about Diesel Fuel For Life, feel free to contact me or check out www.diesel-fragrances.com. I have also attached the press release for the fragrance overall.

Happy Holidays!

Does this count as a plug? If so, you can make that $200 cheque out to "Diesel," 'cause your client deserves a refund.

Update: After back-and-forth communications with SCB Partners, we've gathered this: Their Dec. 17 email to us (above) was not supposed to be a play for editorial, but an offer for an advertising/sponsorship arrangement. An original email, dated Dec. 10 and making no mention of dollar figures, was sent to us, to which we responded (and we're paraphrasing) "We don't do that sort of thing, but you can pay to advertise with us if you'd like." Our ad sales director sent them a media kit; he never heard back. That's when the above email arrived, sent to our editorial team. SCB tells us paying for editorial is not their practice, but they have approached publications like DailyCandy and Hint Magazine with advertorial pitches that were accepted. All that said, a quick blog search for "Fuel For Life" brings up a handful of blogs that have been talking about their product – on and immediately after Dec. 10, the date of the original email – so it seems their message is getting through to some.