As I did last year, I’d like to spotlight notable jewelry promotions that caught my attention during the year for being interesting, fun, cool, thought-provoking, or just plain different.
Pandora’s Vegas show booth
Let’s just say trade show booths are not known for their creativity. So Pandora deserves credit for making its booth at June’s Vegas show look like something out of a theme park (and a good theme park, mind you), with fake deer, fake butterflies, and even a fake Santa. How much more exciting shows would be if more companies followed their lead.
Joan Fuller
Alex and Ani ad during the Super Bowl
The Alex and Ani ad that aired during the Feb. 3 Super Bowl was not your standard big-game ad. It featured neither chips, cars, nor celebrity cameos. It was even a little weird. Still, despite running in just a few select markets, it got results: The company’s Web traffic spiked 550 percent the following day, with a 243 percent jump right after the ad ran. On a day the whole world was watching—and not just the football, but the commercials—Alex and Ani deserves credit for making a splash.
Unluckiest engagement ring
When we put up a story about a site determining the “unluckiest” engagement ring (based on a survey of divorced/separated women), some wondered how reliable the poll was. Well, considering the entire premise is ludicrous, the survey’s accuracy is probably beside the point. What is noteworthy is how this fun idea got enormous publicity for the site that published the poll, Comparejewellery.com. A Google search for “unluckiest engagement ring” turned up 76,000 hits; it even made CNN Headline News:
And needless to say, most of these sources mentioned the site. All of which goes to show that an original and clever hook can get your name out there.
“Shake Your Booty”
I’d be shocked if this ad from Sami Fine Jewelry in Fountain Hills, Ariz., took more than two hours to shoot and a few hundred dollars to make. It’s probably not the kind of thing you want to air on prime-time TV. But for a late-night spot, it’s funny and charming and makes the store staff seem engaging and approachable. And it sure gets the message across. They want your booty!
Pi Day
To show there is no event that a sharp-witted marketer can’t tie into jewelry, a Japanese website ran a special on 3.14 ct. diamonds for Pi Day (which is March 14; get it?). As its PR person told me: “[Pi] cannot be divided. That sounds like the couple would last forever. Doesn’t it sound so romantic?”
“A Wedding to Remember”
This one requires a little context to set up. It’s an ad from Indian jewelry brand Tanishq that is apparently causing a stir back home:
What’s special about the ad is that a sharp viewer can tell the marriage is the second one for both the bride and groom. Historically, divorced or widowed women are outcasts in Indian culture, making the ad a sharp break from tradition. Indian viewers are also talking about the bride’s relatively dark complexion, a turn away from the country’s mainstream obsession with light-skinned lead actresses.
To date, it has received 954,000 views on YouTube. A member of Parliament even praised it on Twitter. All that, and it’s surprisingly moving, too.
Cartier’s Winter’s Tale
The latest big-budget Cartier holiday ad may be its most enjoyable and accessible one yet, with some beautiful animation and visuals. Pixar, move over. (Thanks to Off the Chain.)
The Forevermark Diamond Experience
I don’t know if anyone actually bought the “Forevermark Diamond Experience” out of the Neiman Marcus catalog. But it got the brand plenty of press—Stephen Colbert even made fun of it. And, really, considering it included a trip to an actual diamond mine and a chance to design your own ring from the rough on down, even at $1.85 million, it’s not a bad deal.
Panic Night
All jewelers know that men procrastinate when buying holiday gifts. But Chicago-based Steve Quick Jeweler has turned this last-minute rush into an event, by instituting Panic Night, complete with free beer, pizza, and football—and of course, lots of choices for gifts.
Free flowers and card
Showing not every smart jewelry promotion has to be mind-blowingly innovative, David Craig Jewelers in Philadelphia had its most successful Valentine’s Day ever this year, by offering free roses and a greeting card with every jewelry purchase. “We made it a one-stop shop,” says owner David Rotenberg. “I never expected much from it, but it was over the top. I can’t believe I didn’t think of it 10 years ago.”
Honorable Mention:
Macy’s cat person ad
If I had seen this ad last week, I would have included it in my holiday jewelry commercial roundup. I am not sure I actually consider it one of my favorite spots of the year, but considering the industry is often criticized for its cookie-cutter and unmemorable ads, it’s definitely different.
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