The World Gold Council has launched a new gold jewelry advertising campaign in the United States, set to break this month in 17 fashion and lifestyle publications such as Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, Real Simple, Town & Country, Vanity Fair, Vogue, W, and others. After its initial debut here, the campaign will expand to worldwide markets.

The new campaign, themed “Only Gold,” replaces the council’s “Speak Gold” campaign and is designed to stimulate consumer demand for gold jewelry by increasing the metal’s relevance and desirability.

“Only Gold” was created by London-based agency Bartle Bogle Hegarty, and uses headlines based on gold’s unique and compelling cultural history. Headlines such as “Only Gold Is Divine,” used on an image of a model lounging on a bed smiling seductively at the camera, and “Only Gold Signifies True Power,” used on an image of a busy career woman, emphasize the core values of gold as a universal brand. Each image carries the tagline as though stamped on a gold bar.

Michael Pace, WGC’s U.S. vice president of marketing, and John Calnon, U.S. managing director, said the bars caused a bit of debate as the ads were being developed. On one hand, WGC didn’t want to emphasize the concept of viewing gold solely as an investment—as it frequently was in the early 1980s when the metal’s price climbed to similarly lofty heights as today—but on the other hand, they did want to emphasize its lasting value in jewelry.

Consumer research conducted by global research agency GfK Group provided key insights that led to the development of the campaign’s creative element, such as why consumers buy gold jewelry, as well as identifying the type of consumers most likely to buy it, either as a self-purchase or for a gift. The advertising campaign aims to excite and engage these core consumer targets throughout the year.

The campaign combines an emotional rationale for buying gold with an aspirational product message highlighting specific pieces and where they can be purchased. Partners include select, high-end de-signers of gold jewelry, such as Gurhan, SeidenGang, and Temple St. Clair. Retailers who carry these lines will either be tagged in the ads or listed on the associated Web sites including www.onlygoldisdivine.com, www.onlygoldsignifiestruepower.com, www.onlygoldismajestic.com, and others.

Pace said at the launch that the resurgence of yellow gold in fashion and the resulting media buzz surrounding it, combined with the results of the GfK research, show the time is exactly right for this kind of aspirational campaign. Calnon added that in focus-group feedback, consumers respond very well to the combination of gold’s rich history and modern relevance depicted in the ads.