The Diamond Producers Association looks to the Olympics to exhibit how to make a diamond. Image credit: DPA.
The Diamond Producers Association is paralleling the making of its diamonds to the training lifestyle of an Olympic athlete in its new topical campaign.
In a bid to coincide with important cultural events, DPA has partnered with the NBCU Content Studio in the creation of its Olympics campaign. Throughout the Games’ coverage, the organization will debut three videos dedicated to various athletes’ stories and how their rise to success is similar to the making of a diamond.
Real is a diamond
“The Making of a Gem” will debut during the live NBC broadcast of the XXIII Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
The winter sports theme fits well with the making of diamonds, which are often nicknamed “ice,” an entity that is abundant during the Winter Games.
DPA explains that while the immense pressure is what makes a diamond, the same can be true for Olympic athletes. The tremendous pressure these athletes are under during the rise of their careers makes them the exceptional Olympians that they are.
A snowboarder, ice-skating partners and the women’s ice hockey team all share their stories in their own shorts for “The Making of a Gem” campaign.
The snowboarder is featured on top of a mountain strapped to his board, getting ready to ride. As he stands looking out, viewers can see he is wearing a set of diamond earrings.
He explains, “I can do this. I can handle intense pressure. I can stand up against unimaginable heat. It makes me strong; gives me an edge.” He continues to say that even when he is a little rough, he is still flawless and that is what makes him unique.
Once he his finished, he unzips his jacket while looking at the camera, revealing a diamond necklace in the shape of a spider.
For the ice skating duo, the two are shown completing their routine while they both tell viewers how they spent most of their life in their dark and how the pressure grew. They both explain that with love and a little polish, they shine.
The woman in the pair is also wearing a set of diamond earrings throughout the routine. However, the end of the video reveals they are both wearing wedding rings complete with diamonds.
The women’s hockey team scores a wining goal as one player’s voice can be heard telling viewers that even when they are vulnerable, the team never stops being invincible.
“They tried to crush us,” she says. “But our bond is unbreakable.”
Real is rare
DPA’s new campaign is a small part of its larger “Real is Rare, Real is a Diamond” push.
Following an advertising push in 2016, the Diamond Producers Association increased its marketing budget for 2017 to $57 million.
Promoting its message of “Real is Rare,” the advocacy group for diamond mining companies debuted its multichannel creative on last summer at jewelry trade show JCK. With changing consumer behavior and values, the organization has been turning more toward marketing to prompt sales (see more).
In other strategy to align itself with cultural events, the DPA made its first televised appearance during last year’s Academy Awards in more than a decade by featuring a continuation of the "Real is a Diamond" campaign narrative.
This Academy Awards ceremony, broadcasted on ABC Network, featured a Real is Diamond ad from DPA. Hollywood celebrities decked out in high-jewelry on the red carpet places diamonds within the Oscars conversation, but featuring a commercial that is film-like in production aligns the DPA with the motion pictures being honored at the ceremony (see more).