The “De Beers U.S. advertising account,” as the trade has known it for decades, will very soon cease to exist, knowledgeable sources tell JCK. Instead, all of De Beers’ U.S. marketing budget will go toward promoting the Forevermark in America.

While the situation is still in flux, here is how things are shaping up:

– The new Forevermark USA will be headquartered in Stamford, Conn., and led, as we’ve reported before, by De Beers vet Charles Stanley.

– Members of the current De Beers team at JWT are talking about joining that new entity.

– The advertising and creative work that was, until now, done by the New York team will be consolidated into JWT’s London office.

– The Diamond Promotion Service will no longer exist, though some of its functions will be consolidated into Forevermark USA. Its website will go off-line at the end of the year. Trade members were advised in an email yesterday that “if you are interested in obtaining any DPS materials for your future sales training and marketing needs, please visit the site before the end
of the year.”

– After the promised two years supporting Everlon, De Beers will step back from that campaign, but trade partners are looking at ways to pick up the slack.

All of this was a long time coming, and probably not that surprising, but it’s still a huge change.

Rob Bates

JCK News Director