SourcingMay 24, 2024
Signet, De Beers Have a Plan to Promote Natural DiamondsSourcingJun 04, 2024
For New Campaign, Natural Diamond Council Looks to the North
Shot in Canada’s Northwest Territories in winter, the campaign features actress and NDC ambassador Lily James and the Northern Lights.
The Natural Diamond Council’s new “Real. Rare. Responsible” campaign starring actress and NDC ambassador Lily James (“Cinderella,” “Downton Abbey”) was shot in Canada’s Northwest Territories, where the Northern Lights are visible more than half the year. (Photo courtesy of the Natural Diamond Council)
Las Vegas—Later this year, the Natural Diamond Council will launch a campaign starring Lily James and shot in Canada’s Northwest Territories in the dead of winter.
The new “Real. Rare. Responsible” campaign, which is designed to highlight the positive impact diamonds have in the communities where they are mined, features the “Pam & Tommy” actress against a snowy backdrop.
It serves as a stark contrast to the last “Real. Rare. Responsible” campaign, which was shot in Botswana, and follows James as she visits De Beers Canada’s Gahcho Kué mine, Rio Tinto’s Yellowknife splitting facility, and Diamonds de Canada, the sole producer of the Polar Bear Diamond.
Set to launch in late summer, the campaign includes videos and still imagery retailers can utilize for social media, print, and billboards. There is also a script for a radio spot.
For its part, the NDC will focus on placing the ads on digital platforms.
The new “Real. Rare. Responsible” campaign, which is designed to highlight the positive impact diamonds have in the communities where they are mined, features the “Pam & Tommy” actress against a snowy backdrop.
It serves as a stark contrast to the last “Real. Rare. Responsible” campaign, which was shot in Botswana, and follows James as she visits De Beers Canada’s Gahcho Kué mine, Rio Tinto’s Yellowknife splitting facility, and Diamonds de Canada, the sole producer of the Polar Bear Diamond.
Set to launch in late summer, the campaign includes videos and still imagery retailers can utilize for social media, print, and billboards. There is also a script for a radio spot.
For its part, the NDC will focus on placing the ads on digital platforms.
A fox roams the snowy landscape in Yellowknife, Canada. Yellowknife is the capital, and only city, in the Northwest Territories. It is about 250 miles south of the Arctic Circle. (Photo courtesy of the Natural Diamond Council)
The Northern Lights, which are visible up to 240 days a year in the Northwest Territories, feature prominently in the campaign. (Photo courtesy of the Natural Diamond Council)
A pair of Caribou traverse the ice roads in the Northwest Territories. (Photo courtesy of the Natural Diamond Council)
A 33-carat brilliant-cut natural diamond (left) is pictured alongside a rough diamond. (Photo courtesy of the Natural Diamond Council)
“We’re generally speaking to a younger, Gen Z-millennial audience,” NDC CEO David Kellie said in an interview Friday when asked about NDC’s decision to do digital advertising only.
“They are consuming on their phones, [on platforms] like TikTok. We’ve done a huge amount of work with influencers on TikTok. It’s not a conventional campaign; it’s literally influencers spreading the diamond facts. That’s where we’re influencing people.
“Whilst the industry looks back with great fondness on the De Beers campaigns—the shadows, the three-stone engagement ring, those things—the reality is, you don’t get the reach to the right audience with TV and with print. We still love [print] because people still love to pick up something ... tactile. We still do a print magazine even though most of our representation is digital.”
Originally called the Diamond Producers Association and rebranded as NDC in 2020, the organization is funded by a combination of members who serve on its board of directors and partners, which include a number of large diamond manufacturers as well as India’s Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council.
Kellie said NDC lost about half its funding when Alrosa suspended its membership and halted all financial contributions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
It now faces another potential hurdle—Anglo American’s demerger or divestment of De Beers Group.
De Beers currently accounts for 80 percent of NDC’s member funding, Kellie said.
Despite the uncertainty, he said the organization remains focused on the task at hand—rolling out this new campaign promoting natural diamonds ahead of the holiday season.
It also is seeking to sign on more members and partners to diversify its funding sources, something that has been a goal for a number of years.
“Even before Alrosa’s resignation [in 2022], it was always our belief that all parts of the industry should be participating in what we do, which is to drive consumer demand,” Kellie said.
The organization just signed on the Okavango Diamond Company (ODC), which conducts rough diamond sales on behalf of the Botswana government, as its first non-mining member.
ODC also partnered with the NDC on the “Natural Diamond Club” lounge in Las Vegas this year.
Kellie said NDC believes more diamond-producing countries should be NDC members, a goal it is working toward.
He said when it comes to promoting natural diamonds, the industry needs to be united behind one message.
“If we all do it together, it’ll be much bigger, much more impactful. And this industry rises or falls together, as we’ve seen in the last two or three years,” he said.
“Whilst people compete, and competition is a good thing, we all either do well together or we don’t. It’s a shared responsibility.”
More on Sourcing
The Latest
MajorsJul 26, 2024
Diamonds Direct Opens Store in AtlantaIt’s the Signet-owned banner’s first location in Georgia.
TrendsJul 26, 2024
Piece of the Week: Bea Bongiasca’s ‘Double Loop’ EarringsCommemorate “brat summer” with these green hoops.
EditorsJul 26, 2024
Out & About: A Dispatch from the Nation’s Smallest StateEditor-in-Chief Michelle Graff returns from Rhode Island with thoughts about in-store shopping and a trends report.
Brought to you by
The End of an Era? Lab-Grown Diamonds' Journey Towards Price StabilityAs the demand for lab-grown diamond jewelry may still be increasing, the most notable change we are likely to see is price stabilization.
Supplier BulletinJul 25, 2024
Meet Gemology’s Next Generation Microscope: GIA® Gemolite® NXT Professional EditionSponsored by Gemological Institute of America
Weekly QuizJul 25, 2024
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
TechnologyJul 25, 2024
Amazon, BBB Sue Website Allegedly Peddling Fake Reviews They claim ReviewServiceUSA.com was selling both positive and negative reviews of products and businesses.
IndependentsJul 25, 2024
Store Designer Ruth Mellergaard DiesA longtime member of IJO, she’s remembered for her passion for design, learning, and environmentalism.
Brought to you by
Meet Gemology’s Next Generation Microscope: GIA® Gemolite® NXT Professional EditionGIA®’s most advanced microscope has new features to optimize greater precision and comfort.
FinancialsJul 25, 2024
Boucheron, Pomellato Post Double-Digit Growth in Q2 The gains come amid a tough time for parent company Kering, which saw sales slide 11 percent in the first half of the year.
MajorsJul 25, 2024
Shane Co. Partners With Kids In Need Foundation to Donate 7,200 BackpacksThe fine jewelry retailer filled backpacks with back-to-school essentials for students in 13 states.
FinancialsJul 24, 2024
LVMH’s First-Half Jewelry, Watch Sales Dip 5%Tiffany & Co. is focusing on its “iconic” collections while the company has made changes at the top at TAG Heuer and Hublot.
MajorsJul 24, 2024
See Chaumet’s Paris Olympic Medals Inspired by its High JewelryThe Parisian brand is the first jewelry company in the history of the Olympic and Paralympic Games to design the medals.
MajorsJul 24, 2024
Jewelers Mutual Acquires Pawnbroker Insurance ProviderUnion Life & Casualty will join JM Insurance Agency Partners, expanding the provider’s pawnbroker coverage.
MajorsJul 24, 2024
Ben Bridge Announces 2024 Lonia Tate Scholarship WinnerLos Angeles-based Bradlei Smith was selected for this year’s award.
ColumnistsJul 23, 2024
Peter Smith: The Case for Optimism in Sales In his latest column, Smith shares multiple reasons why people who look at the glass as being hall full often make better salespeople.
IndependentsJul 23, 2024
Long’s Jewelers Is Giving Away a Luxury Cape Cod VacationThe giveaway is part of the New England jeweler’s summer bridal event.
CollectionsJul 23, 2024
Guzema Debuts ‘Flower Power’ CampaignThe ad features three celebrity florists creating floral sculptures while wearing jewelry by Guzema.
Policies & IssuesJul 23, 2024
Diamonds Do Good Announces Its 2024 Entrepreneurship Grant WinnersThe grant provided a total of $100,000 to support 13 entrepreneurs from diamond communities in Africa and India.
CrimeJul 22, 2024
Florida Jeweler Shot, Killed Following Argument With CustomerGhazi Michel Osta, or “Gus,” was killed Friday by an 83-year-old man said to be a frequent customer at his store, Volusia Gold & Diamond.
Policies & IssuesJul 22, 2024
JVC’s Elyssa Jenkins-Pérez Joins RJCThe organization also announced Effie Marinos as its new specialist advisor for technical standards, as well as four other appointments.
SourcingJul 22, 2024
AWDC Names Karen Rentmeesters as CEORentmeesters has served as interim CEO since April following former CEO Ari Epstein’s resignation.
IndependentsJul 19, 2024
Longtime D.C. Jeweler Brian Mann Dies at 70Mann, whose family’s jewelry store was located inside the Pentagon, is remembered for being a thoughtful champion of the industry.
IndependentsJul 19, 2024
The 1916 Company Opens New Tudor BoutiqueThe 500-square-foot boutique is located in Denver’s Cherry Creek Shopping Center.
CollectionsJul 19, 2024
Piece of the Week: Messika’s ‘So Move Max’ NecklaceDance all night long with the “So Move Max” set’s necklace.
WatchesJul 18, 2024
TAG Heuer, Hublot Will Have New CEOs Luxury giant LVMH is reshuffling the leadership in its watches division.
MajorsJul 18, 2024
New Etsy Campaign Prioritizes Creators Amid BacklashSellers and shoppers have spoken out against a rise in mass-produced merchandise on the platform meant to highlight handmade goods.
MajorsJul 18, 2024
Swarovski Names Ariana Grande as Its New Brand AmbassadorThe celebrity will star in Swarovski’s holiday campaign.
