News Archive: November 2005
Better Diamond Video: Kanye West or De Beers? November 16, 2005
Better Diamond Video: Kanye West or De Beers?
In a presentation to George Washington University students, The Conflict-Free Diamond Council’s Robert Cosentino emphasized the glaring difference in public perception of diamonds using two pop culture video examples.
The first (and dominant) perception of diamonds is one of love, happiness, and eternity; and is portrayed in De Beers’ television advertisement “I Would Marry You Again”. De Beers’ marketing slogan, “A Diamond is Forever”, is one of the 20th century’s greatest taglines; and has made the gift of a diamond ring a cultural necessity of love in the United States.
The second (and lesser known) perception of diamonds is one of senseless civil war and human rights abuses; and is portrayed in Kanye West’s music video “Diamonds from Sierra Leone”. While everyone is naturally suspicious of celebrity causes, the first 55 seconds of Kanye’s video is an excellent visualization of the negative human impact of African “diamond wars”. In fact, Kanye’s opening and closing quotations are genuine and mirror the type of awareness The Conflict-Free Diamond Council is promoting:
“Little is known of Sierra Leone,
and how it connects
to the diamonds we own.”
–
“Please purchase conflict free diamonds.”
The November 16, 2005 presentation was made to Professor Vanessa Perry’s Consumer Behavior class as an example of “Lifestyle Marketing”. For more information please visit the following links:
The Conflict-Free Diamond Council
Download Kanye West’s “Diamonds from Sierra Leone” from iTunes
The George Washington University’s School of Business