RAPAPORT… De Beers has launched a marketing campaign focusing on diverse types of commitment, calling it a “new chapter” in the company’s history.
The program centers on the phrase “I do,” which De Beers has redefined for the contemporary world. The campaign expands the words’ meaning to stand for all sorts of personal pledges related to the self, others, and nature, the miner said Monday.
“For more than a century, De Beers has played a central role in helping people express their enduring commitment to their partner,” explained De Beers CEO Bruce Cleaver. “Today we see a new generation of consumers who wish to communicate a wider commitment: a commitment to their own personal development, to their friendships, to their families, to society, and to the natural world.”
The marketing push fits with De Beers’ recent consolidation of its retail brands, De Beers Jewellers and De Beers Forevermark, and its increased focus on social and environmental purpose.
Last week, the miner’s annual Diamond Insight Report highlighted the importance of sustainability, noting that many jewelry shoppers would pay a premium for proof of socially and environmentally responsible business practices.
“In an era where the ethics and values of both consumers and brands are paramount, ‘I do.’ also means action and purpose,” the company said. “By wearing De Beers diamonds, customers can use them as talismans: for individual and collective acts of intent, towards a better, brighter future.”
It’s not just a holiday and engagement campaign, De Beers insisted. It will continue throughout 2022, with a 30-second commercial airing in key markets, including the US, UK, China, France, India, Hong Kong and Taiwan. In most locations, it will also appear via “out-of-home” advertising — a term for billboards and the like — and across print, digital and social media. In certain markets, it will feature in taxis, metro stations and cinemas, De Beers told Rapaport News.
Most of the multichannel campaign is set outdoors in locations such as forests and open fields and by the sea. Shot by photographer and director Jonas Lindstroem, it features racial diversity, same-sex couples, and individuals on their own. Characters include a woman graduating, a pregnant woman, a man on his own with a baby, and several couples during special moments. It also features a range of diamond jewelry from both De Beers Jewellers and De Beers Forevermark.
The tagline “I do.” appears on the screen at the end, though De Beers said the campaign itself didn’t have a name.
“The launch of the campaign marks a turning point for De Beers, and paves the way for our ongoing commitment to being a purpose-driven company,” commented Celine Assimon, CEO of De Beers Jewellers and De Beers Forevermark. “Our two jewelry houses come from one powerful brand that is proud to stand for commitments — by people all over the world — to what means most to them.”
Image: A visual from the De Beers marketing campaign, featuring jewelry from the the Forevermark Icon collection. (De Beers)