Brilliant

This ad appeared in the New York Times on December 13:

 

 

 

The succinct copy is unafraid to use the other D-word, debt, to contrast absurdly overpriced diamonds with lookalike moissanite stones. “She’s forever … You’re forever” echoes the company name, itself a sly poke at the long-running slogan of the De Beers diamond cartel, “A Diamond Is Forever.” In fact, I’m kind of amazed that Forever Brilliant was able to register its name as a trademark. Well played.

For more on diamond marketing and the romantic-industrial complex, see my 2008 post, “Stones.” And read The Heartless Stone, Tom Zoellner’s account of how a “relatively common mineral” came “to signify love and eternal promises.”

Comments

[Q. Pheevr]

The use of "forever" is definitely a nice coup against De Beers, but I have to say that I find the message of "She's forever in your debt" really, really creepy.

[The Corresponder]

I agree with Q Pheevr, it is creepy and insulting to women.

[Nancy Friedman]

Q. Pheevr and The Corresponder: I'm usually hypersensitive to language that demeans women, but somehow this use of "debt" doesn't bother me. I take it as a rephrasing of "she'll thank you." But I do see how someone could find it offensive.