De Beers is bringing back its classic “A Diamond Is Forever” slogan for its Forevermark advertising, the company announced at its annual Forevermark breakfast at the Four Seasons resort in Las Vegas on May 28. 

First coined in 1947 by a bleary copywriter at 3 a.m., the slogan was used for decades and spawned books, songs, and movies. In 2000, Advertising Age christened it the “slogan of the century.”

But when De Beers gave up generic diamond promotion, the slogan—often considered the most potent arrow in its quiver—retreated a bit. For a time, its retail chain, De Beers Diamond Jewelers, was meant to use it, but Forevermark CEO Stephen Lussier said, “Forevermark is a much bigger proposition.”

“We are thrilled to bring this incredible equity back,” said Lussier, as the room erupted in applause. “It is a powerful idea that is overdue to come home to America.”

The awareness of the slogan remains extraordinarily high, even among young consumers.

“The millennials have all heard about it,” Lussier said. “If you ask the older generation what does it mean, they will tell you and talk about timelessness. If you talk to the millennials, they will just say, ‘I just know it.’ ”

So the company needs to reintroduce it to younger consumers, most likely through a digital campaign.

“We have to reinject the meaning of it for the new generation,” Lussier said. “You need people to really think about what it means.”

Lussier said the slogan has remained powerful, in part because it can be read in a few ways.

 “The core premise of the slogan is the concept of emotion, at least in aspiration the relationship will be forever,” he said. “The other is the concept of lasting value. It is what justifies a purchase of a diamond, part of the rationale for purchase. The other is the idea of timeless elegance of diamonds.”

Forevermark US president Charles Stanley said that he hopes the new Forevermark campaign could lead to a shift in how retailers sell diamonds and move away from the Four C’s and get back to diamond beauty.

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