Friday, October 13, 2006
De Beers Freaking Out Over DiCaprio Movie
The diamond monolith De Beers is freaking out over the bad publicity they expect from the holiday movie "Blood Diamonds," which depicts the horrible violence tearing apart countries where diamonds are mined. The diamond industry claims they've set up a process to make certain "conflict diamonds" don't get on the world market. But since they oversee the program themselves and won't keep auditable records and there's so much money to be made, naturally activists think maybe De Beers et al are not to be trusted. Will diamonds become uncool? Yep, if Leondardo DiCaprio has anything to do with it.
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3 comments:
Isn't DeBeers the largest diamond importer in the world? Do you think people will really stop buying diamonds? Honestly, what do they really have to fear...
Well, De Beers is taking it seriously. No one film can stop the diamond trade. But having the image of diamonds sullied in the US would indeed be bad for business and they can't be happy to see one of the biggest actors in the world not simply make the movie but use it as a platform to discuss human rights issues. De Beers asked for a disclaimer on the film, has hired a pr firm and the diamond industry has taken out full page ads in newspapers trying to state the problem of conflict diamonds has already been solved when it depends on how much you trust an industry that makes billions to police itself. Nike took a serious hit in sales and changed its corporate policy. The fur industry is a shadow of its former self thanks to a new generation that grew up thinking wearing real furs was tacky and crass and uncool, more appropriate for old dowagers than cool young people. A lot of different things would have to happen for a lot of years for a similar effect to be had on diamonds, but it isn't unprecedented.
But I shouldn't be too adamant. You're right in general that De Beers could have just ignored the movie and not worried. In fact, their panic might help the film and hurt their cause.
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