Most. Obnoxious. Advertisement. Ever.

i dont know. most girls like diamonds A LOT. Maybe even more than dinner. so long as the diamonds were aquired fairly...

Sad. But most obnoxious? Hardly.

To my mind, every SUV commercial where the luxury truck bounces over rocks, through streams and across virgin wilderness wins that distinction over diamonds.

Absolutely, man - we gave that DeBeers ad first prize in the "Unbelievable Hypcrisy" category.

But what goes around, comes around - good old fashioned science may put them out of business soon:

http://vanno.com/article/details/remember-those-two-months-salary-debeers-diamond-ads

I get really annoyed during this time of year and Valentine's Day because of these ads. They like to make me feel that I am not loved by my husband unless he buys me one of those rings, pendants, whatever.

Happy anniversary honey, here's a cord of wood.

Gold and other precious materials--like diamonds--are time honored means of preserving value in uncertain times. People who have the means will buy diamonds. I invest in precious metals futures.

My wife for my birthday gave me a certificate that a small forest was being tended and grown for me, much better than any diamond.

Also for those who love diamonds, check out the great movie (Blood Diamonds) with DiCaprio

That is NOT the most obnoxious ad ever.

There is actually a lot of truth to it.
And, while times are tough for a lot of folks, economically speaking, there are many who are doing well, have secure jobs, and are living within their means. I don't think that a pair of diamond earings qualifies as conspicuous and excessively wasteful consumptions.

Now if you were to get torqued about the damage that the diamond mining industry is doing to the planet then I would understand your ire.

Wow, someone got a rock up their butt. Come on, this, on the site which touts "eco-friendly Vodka", along with a myriad of other frivolous eco-fashionista consumeristic crap? DeBeers is right. Any of that eco crap gonna hold any value? Gonna be considered a family heirloom? Gonna actually appreciate in value? NOT.

Lloyd, sorry man, but EPIC FAIL.

I don't think people get their arms chopped off to give us vodka, but they do in the diamond industry. I didn't' want a diamond engagement ring and just to be sure I didn't get one, I proposed. He did take me shopping to look for a ring after saying, "Yes!", but the idiocy of the clerk at the one and only place we went to nixed that idea. I told her I didn't want a diamond, and she proceeded to only show us only diamond rings. I kept repeating, but it was too foreign of a concept to get through her thick brainwashed head. So, just an wedding band has been perfect for the last 8 years. And I always feel that he loves me, no matter what stuff he does or doesn't give me.

Actually, to all of you who support diamonds as investments, diamonds do not increase in value.

You CAN burn diamonds for heat!

When will humans get past the shiny rocks phase of evolution? Stupid monkey.

Puhleese.

Lots of people getting beaten up and worse so eco-swine can get their biodiesel, so STFU with your arms chopped off comment. Almost anything can be done in an inhumane, or humane fashion.

Don't appreciate in value? Really? The good ones do, especially when integrated into a nice piece. The crap ones don't. But the point is, 99% of the stuff that this site basically hawks is worth $0.00 as soon as you open the box.

In conclusion, should a person buy a crap load of eco-nonsensical crap, or one nice diamond? Which is better for the environment? Which is the more responsible of the two? Which shows the person to be a bit more evolved? Not that I'm buying any of it myself, but someone who chooses to consume less crap in order to get one thing that they know will bring them joy for the rest of their lives, and maybe the lives of their descendants, definitely gets a gold star in my book.

The rest of you ninnies, go drink yourselves into oblivion with that eco-vodka. Sheesh.

are we getting value confused with market worth here? de beers and their counterparts have masses of diamonds on hold, to ensure that they alone control the market worth. It is on the basis of this invented rarity that diamonds have a high market worth. their value? depends what you can do with them doesn't it?
not the worst ad ever btw, i'm still pondering my choice on that. what about the men's hairdye where the two daughters use the phrase 'you'll be a nice catch for somebody'?

Diamonds are DeBeers best friend!

Really? You're worried about what to eat, or what to burn for heat? That's funny, because as you sit there typing away at your shiny little computer, with your high speed internet connection, researching diamond ads from 1947, I can't help thinking that you've got it pretty good. Forget DeBeers... if you need food and heat, why don't you cancel the internet, sell the computer, and buy some Ramen? I'm sure you can carry them all home in your $30,000 car.

Come on. Did you stand in line for soup today? Did you steal a warm sweater from a drunk guy in an alley? Have you stood around a burning trash can lately? Let's can the fear-mongering and raise the standards a little bit. You have a forum for reaching thousands, maybe even millions of people... why not write something more useful? Many of us wish we had the audience you do...

I agree, this advertising is a bit silly, but they must be feeling the pressure. I recently wrote about eco-friendly diamonds, synthetics and simulants and explored the benefits of each type in a bit more detail. There are other alternatives out there.

http://www.thechicecologist.com/2008/12/eco-concious-diamonds-synthetics-and-simulants/

- The Chic Ecologist

R Hunt,

Funny you should ask why some people don't do these things. Well, I'm sitting here typing on my lowspeed connection at my office, and just sold my house to try to save money, and what am I eating for lunch? Ramen, with broccoli. So not everyone is sliding through this as easily as everyone else.

Yahoo's!