(PRESS RELEASE) NEW YORK — The Diamond Producers Association (DPA) launches its new Real is Rare, Real is a Diamond campaign, ‘The Diamond Journey’. The campaign is an unprecedented, cinematic telling of the natural diamond story. From genesis to finished jewelry, the remarkable journey of a diamond plays out across time and space. In addition to themes of love and romance, the heirloom quality of diamonds is expressed throughout the film, powerfully tying diamonds to our most intimate moments and life events.
“’The Diamond Journey’ tells the timeless and epic story of natural diamonds in a new and modern way.” said Jean-Marc Lieberherr, CEO of the DPA. “We know from research that the majority of consumers are unaware that diamonds are the oldest thing they will ever touch or own – it’s a powerful message that resonates and one this campaign celebrates with the tagline ‘3 Billion Years in the Making’ across all its assets and, in some instances, also includes ‘Before there was life, there were diamonds’.” Lieberherr continues, “This cinematic campaign invites the viewer to discover the legacy of natural diamonds from their geological formation, their transformation from rough to polished and their journey through human history to becoming an ultimate embodiment and symbol of love, connection, and heirloom.”
The campaign was developed in partnership with creative agency BBH London. The film was directed by Ian Pons Jewell, whose impressive commercial portfolio includes Nike, Audi, Lexus and Michelob, and features music from Oscar winning musician, Atticus Ross.
Pons Jewell shared “It’s hard to describe how special this project is. The chance to write something bespoke to a brief at this scale is extremely rare. But rarer still to have the chance to tell the story of a naturally occurring element. I knew a little about how diamonds are formed but had no idea just how epic the journey is. We did a lot of research, not only did we look into the science, but also the human relationship with diamonds through history. It’s been an incredible experience; one I don’t think I’ll ever get to repeat in the commercial world.”
This campaign chronicles the transformation of a beautiful rough diamond from discovery to the ultimate representation of love, commitment and meaningful moments. The design of the 2-carat cushion cut diamond engagement ring, set in yellow gold, evokes a classic, timeless quality with eternal appeal.
At the epicenter of the campaign is a 3-minute hero film that will live on Real is Rare, Real is a Diamond’s website at www.realisadiamond.com with the first phase of its redesign and relaunch to coincide with the launch of The Diamond Journey. In addition to housing the full version of the film, the website details the historical and symbolic references featured throughout. The suite of assets that live alongside the film and will be the focus of the multichannel media campaign comprising 60, 30 and 15 second videos; as well as a series of exquisite and striking portrait and landscape still visuals of an embracing pair of hands, one of which is adorned with a diamond ring, emerging from a natural scene.
The assets can be viewed here.
Additionally, there are over a hundred supplementary visuals from the campaign that will be utilized primarily for social media, as well as 6 and 10 second videos.
The robust and fully integrated advertising campaign with a primary target of 21-39 year olds, launches digitally on October 15 with Conde Nast, The New York Times, Sports Illustrated, among others, as well as a strong social media presence, with emphasis on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. Highly rated Television placements also launch in October with live NFL games on ESPN, Holiday movie sponsorships on Hallmark and presence across NBC via The Today Show and NBC Primetime digital streaming properties. Core to the campaign are Millennials and other consumers in their engagement research journey, but a broader audience will be reached through awareness tactics. A special focus on high impact out-of-home/outdoor placements in transit hubs and key cities capitalize on the busy holiday travel and gifting season, with placements including Grand Central Terminal, JFK and LAX airports, and select in-flight TVs. The plan also includes cinema partnerships to tie-in with peak movie season and select print partners.
For retailers and other members of the trade there will be an assortment of customizable and shareable campaign assets including print, digital and social media content that can be accessed at http://shop.diamondproducers.com. By using the tools to amplify the campaign, retailers can leverage the momentum from the national marketing investment during the key holiday season.