Diamonds Are Forever
p4: the power of advertising
Advertising imitates our values, portraying family, friends, and lovers in advertising. When people are presented in advertisements, the most common subject is love. A sacred form of love is marriage. When people get engaged, a man gives a woman a diamond ring. There is no historical tradition of giving a diamond ring before marriage. This is a modern concept. A Diamond is Forever is a worldwide company that promotes this concept in the name of love. Their advertising convinces people that a diamond is a symbol of love, which deceives our mind.
A diamond is forever. We all know that there is no such thing as forever. However, we want our love to last forever, especially if we are going to marry someone. Love is invisible. The message, A Diamond is Forever, creates the impression that love is made visible by giving a diamond to your future bride. This is the convincing message that this advertising campaign tries to pursue, and it has been successful. Their brand name tells you that your love will last forever by purchasing a diamond. A Diamond is Forever promises exactly what grooms and brides want to have in their marriage. Here, the value of a diamond is much more than an expensive rock.
The most interesting part of A Diamond is Forever advertising campaign is that it tricks your mind by saying, “How can you make two months’ salary last forever?” If you look at the ad, there is a big solitary diamond, known as an engagement ring, in the center of the page. The slogan manipulates people’s thoughts about prices of diamonds. When we see the word “salary” in the advertisement, we think of a person who has a steady job and works hard as a productive member of society. At the same time, the advertisement informs us that the product is expensive but does not tell us the exact price of the diamond ring.
Generally, a diamond is a status symbol and a luxury item, which belongs to
the elitists. Nevertheless this advertisement’s appeal is populist, meaning
that whatever salary you make, your two month worth can last forever. Therefore,
a diamond can be any prices between $2,000 or 10,000,000. Every A Diamond is
Forever advertisement creates a meaning for diamonds that makes us believe
that they are a part of our lives, such as an anniversary ring and an engagement
ring instead of promoting diamonds as beautiful, luxurious or shiny items.
From a larger viewpoint, A Diamond is Forever gives people the wrong idea because it manipulates our values to material values. The idea that a material object is forever and portray it as social value through advertising is irresponsible. A diamond mine is a natural resource, meaning if we waste it without thought it will dry up. The dangerous idea is that once we think that something is forever, we use it carelessly: think about how people use water, especially when rent includes all the utilities. Luckily, a diamond is not an essential resource for living. A Diamond is Forever’s advertising is powerful because they teach us to see diamonds as having social value. This institutional part of the advertising goes beyond the fact that a diamond is not forever, which brainwashes us by conveying the consistent message a diamond is forever. Given the fact that we are surrounded by advertising, A Diamond is Forever’s advertising is one example of manipulating what our real values are.