This is regarded as one of the greatest advertising campaigns of all time, a revolution in the diamond world.
Today, diamond rings have become an essential element in romantic proposals for most couples around the globe. Men feel more confident expressing and proving their love with a ring in hand, while women experience immense joy upon receiving a sparkling ring, often leading them to “nod eagerly.”
No one explicitly states it, but sometimes people assume that the size of the diamond is directly proportional to a man’s love for a woman. Therefore, no matter how difficult it might be, they strive to purchase a valuable diamond to propose.
Diamond ring.
While everyone knows diamonds are precious, few realize that their value was significantly elevated thanks to the “legendary” advertising campaign that entered the history books of the famous diamond brand De Beers.
History of the “king of gemstones”
According to Brilliance, diamonds have been considered valuable assets since ancient times. The first diamonds in the world were found in India around the 4th century BC, even though they were formed billions of years ago. The “youngest” diamonds are about 900 million years old.
These diamonds appeared randomly due to land erosion, washing up along riverbanks. At the time of their discovery, diamonds were highly valued for their durability and brilliance, as well as their ability to refract light and their hardness surpassing that of metals.
Diamonds were worn as jewelry, used as cutting tools, and regarded as talismans to ward off evil, believed to protect soldiers in battle. During the “Dark Ages” (a historical period commonly referring to the Middle Ages), diamonds were also used as medical aids and were thought to cure illnesses and heal wounds when swallowed.
Diamonds share some characteristics with coal.
Surprisingly, diamonds share some characteristics with coal. Both contain the most common element on Earth: carbon.
What makes diamonds different from coal is the way carbon atoms are formed and arranged. Diamonds are created when carbon is subjected to extreme pressure and temperature, found in the Earth’s mantle, located about 144 to 386 kilometers beneath the Earth’s surface.
Until the 18th century, India was the sole supplier of diamonds. As the diamond mines in India became depleted, the search for alternative sources began. Although a small quantity of diamonds was found in Brazil in 1725, the supply was insufficient to meet global demand.
A diamond mining site.
In 1866, a 15-year-old boy named Erasmus Jacobs was wandering along the Orange River (South Africa) when he stumbled upon what he thought was an ordinary pebble. It turned out to be a 21.25-carat diamond.
In 1871, a massive 83.50-carat diamond was discovered on a low hill called Colesberg Kopje. This hill was on the farm of two Dutch immigrant brothers, Johannes Nicolaas and Diederik Arnoldus de Beers. They had purchased the land for farming, not for diamond mining. However, in 1871, diamonds were found in this area.
These discoveries led thousands to flock to the site, forming the first large-scale diamond mining operation known as the Kimberly Mine.
Kimberly diamond mine in South Africa.
This new diamond mine significantly increased the world’s diamond supply, leading to a substantial decrease in their value. The elite no longer saw diamonds as rare and began to replace them with colorful gemstones.
In 1880, British businessman Cecil John Rhodes acquired the land belonging to the de Beers brothers, founding the company named after them, De Beers Consolidated Mines, Ltd., all in an effort to control the diamond supply.
British businessman Cecil John Rhodes.
However, despite De Beers’ success in controlling the diamond supply, the demand for this gemstone remained low. By 1919, diamond prices had dropped nearly 50%.
This was the catalyst for the advertising campaign that elevated the value of this gemstone.
When did the engagement ring originate?
The use of rings as symbols of love commitment dates back to ancient history, particularly the engagement rings of the Romans.
These original rings, often made from twisted copper or braided hair, were worn on the third finger of the left hand. The ring’s position was significant, as the Romans believed that the vein in the third finger (often called the love vein) ran directly to the heart.
For the Romans, rings were given as tokens of love or friendship and did not always represent the institution of marriage.
The use of rings as symbols of love commitment dates back to ancient times.
The history of the engagement ring began in 1215, when Pope Innocent III, one of the most powerful popes of the Middle Ages, declared a need for a waiting period between engagement and marriage.
The rings were used to signify a couple’s commitment during the waiting period leading up to the wedding. At that time, rings were introduced as a key component of the wedding ceremony, and Roman authorities mandated that all marriage rituals must take place in a church. Besides serving as a symbol of the intent to marry, the rings also represented social status; only those of the upper class were allowed to wear rings or intricately designed rings.
The first recorded diamond engagement ring was in 1477 when Archduke Maximilian of Austria proposed to Mary, the Duchess of Burgundy. Although engagement rings were quite popular at the time, diamonds were extremely rare, reserved for royalty and the upper class.
The greatest advertising campaign of all time
Returning to the story of De Beers, the 1930s marked a challenging decade for the diamond industry: diamond prices dropped worldwide.
Europe was on the brink of another war. Engagement rings were seen as a luxury and rarely adorned with diamonds.
In 1938, De Beers hired NW Ayer & Son, the first advertising agency in the U.S., to change the perception of diamonds in the minds of consumers. This advertising agency proposed a clever campaign to associate diamonds with the romance everyone desired. To achieve this, they invited Hollywood stars to wear diamonds for photos and suggested stories to newspapers about how diamond rings symbolized romance.
The slogan “A diamond is forever” – the greatest advertising slogan in history.
Simultaneously, the campaign persuaded consumers not to sell diamond rings. They should be displayed in a formal box to remember the loved one, demonstrating that love does not fade even in death. This limited the sale of diamonds outside De Beers’ control.
In 1948, a copywriter from NW Ayer named Frances Gerety suddenly coined the phrase “A diamond is forever”. Frances herself likely did not expect it to become a historical slogan, helping De Beers revolutionize the market. Fifty years later, it was recognized by Ad Age as the greatest advertising slogan of the 20th century.
It was a fitting slogan, reminding everyone that it was a memento of love and thus should remain forever in the family home, never to be sold.
Americans gradually regarded diamond rings as an essential element of engagements.
However, equating diamonds with romance was not enough. By the late 1950s, NW Ayer noticed that Americans had gradually come to view diamond rings as a necessary element of engagements.
“Since 1939, a generation of young people has reached marriageable age,” the advertisement reads. “For this new generation, almost all of them see the diamond ring as a necessity when getting engaged.” The message has ingrained itself in the minds of this generation to the extent that those who cannot afford to buy a diamond will “postpone the purchase” rather than choose an alternative.
A long-term advertising campaign has changed an entire generation’s perception of diamonds.
Subsequently, this advertising company took it a step further. NW Ayers found that when women were given the choice of engagement rings, they tended to select less expensive options. Therefore, De Beers encouraged “surprise” proposals.
Accordingly, men were advised to choose the diamond themselves (with the clear message that the more expensive the stone, the more attractive he appeared in the eyes of women). They even guided those men who were clueless: American men should spend two months’ salary, while Japanese men should spend three months’ salary.
De Beers’ long-term advertising campaign truly transformed an entire generation’s view of diamonds.
It is no wonder that in 1940, only 10% of brides received diamond engagement rings. By 1990, this number skyrocketed to 80%. They conveyed the message that eternal love should be symbolized by an eternal stone – the diamond.
This marketing campaign was extremely effective, as evidenced by De Beers’ public figures. From 1939 to 1979, their wholesale diamond sales in the U.S. alone increased from $23 million to $2.1 billion. Concurrently, the company’s advertising budget rose from $200,000 to $10 million a year. They certainly knew how to spend money!
Building on Success
De Beers’ campaigns did not stop with engagement rings. When it seemed that the engagement ring market was becoming saturated, De Beers continued to advertise about second diamond rings after marriage. This diamond ring serves to reaffirm the love and commitment of couples. Thus, the 60th wedding anniversary celebration is also known as the diamond anniversary.
By the mid-1960s, De Beers sought to enter the Japanese market. The company continued to harness the power of advertising, linking diamonds with the modern lifestyle of Westerners. Giving a diamond ring was portrayed as a couple’s sophistication and appreciation for Western cultural values – which was in vogue at the time.
In 1967, fewer than 5% of Japanese women owned diamond engagement rings. Yet by 1981, this figure had risen to 60%. Japan became the second-largest market for De Beers diamonds, following the U.S.
Next, De Beers ventured into China using a similar strategy. A study from Citigroup showed that over 30% of Chinese brides today own diamond engagement rings. In contrast, 30 years ago, in the 1990s, hardly anyone used diamonds as betrothal gifts, as Asians preferred gold rings and earrings.
