Some the world’s most inspiring and memorable advertising campaigns have been produced by jewellery brands. In fact, De Beers’ classic line, ‘A diamond is forever’, is ranked as one the best marketing slogans of the last 100 years.
However, in a departure from the norm, a Norwegian jewellery company has decided that the best way to launch its new 2012 jewellery range is to douse a beautiful woman in petrol and burn her at the stake, wearing the company’s jewellery, of course!
In fact, to promote the 2012 range, Norwegian-based Bjørg Jewellery created a short film titled ‘Heresy’, which portrays a woman being burned at the stake. Although it’s beautifully filmed, one wonders what the message is given the viewer sees just a fleeting glimpse of the product. Blink, and you’ll miss it!
The theme of the film and print advertising campaign is “Not all who wander are lost”, and the company’s website explains, "The collection makes up an odyssey of imagination, mystique and poetry, switching between dreams and reality, thus welcoming Dark Knights, Pale Moons, Magic Hours and Misty Mountains."
One website goes as far as describing it as “a totally loony fashion-related ad” while another observes, “Bjorg jewellery wants you to buy their wares because… well… it must have something to do with sensation of being burned alive.”
Another commentator offered this rather tongue in cheek assurance, “no actual models were harmed in the shoot”.
what do you think?
Watch the video and see what you think of Bjørg’s marketing campaign? How do you think it affects the brand's image and do you think such a campaign will increase sales? Login and have "Your Say".
Reader FEEDBACK
Here's a few comments about the video as posted on our Facebook page. To read others click
here.
SHOCK HORROR
Perhaps a punch line or maybe a relevant reason for the human sacrifice! I know of a quirky goldsmith who once had her shop front window set up like a butcher's shop/murder scene (lots of red paint, bloody tools, handprints, chains with butchers hooks and dismembered dolls) and lots of beautiful jewellery. SHOCK FACTOR! It definitely got people looking and laughing.
The little sign said, "everything nice has its price".
Maria Christofidelis
DISTURBING
Nothing brilliant about it ... if anything it's quite disturbing.
Antonia Kratsas
VIRAL MARKETING
If they were going for viral advertising then they succeeded, I wouldn't have know who they were. If you look at their jewellery it's skull and bones looking stuff and the range is called Heretic, so it fits with their image I guess.
Ryan Silvester
NO STORY
Well, it doesn't make me want to buy jewellery. Doesn't give a story why one girl burns another at a stake in the middle of nowhere either. Maybe it tells us a story about Gen Y? Just stupid. Only thing is we are all contemplating it. The brand is getting ‘out there’. I don't know why a brand wants to be associated with this even though they may have a dark style.
Tim Haab
MISSED THE POINT
Unless I missed something, I don't see any relevance in the ad except the name at the very end. Am I supposed to be seeing something in to it? All I saw was girl being set alight "why?". I own a jewellery store and love creative marketing but this is very left of field and the field is empty. Give me quirky but make it relevant.
The jewellery range is called 'heretic', so that probably explains the 'why'. But having said that, our team have discussed other ways we would've rather seen the video end, like a shot of the jewellery glistening in the ashes on the ground to give the product a little more stage. It's certainly beautifully filmed, but many have commented that it would've been impossible to tell that it was a jewellery commercial without it being pointed out!
Steve Cann