On the Power of Advertising
If I were ever to take over the world, I know what business I would move into: media.
Have You Ever Tried to Sell a Diamond?
“The diamond invention—the creation of the idea that diamonds are rare and valuable, and are essential signs of esteem—is a relatively recent development in the history of the diamond trade.”
“The diamond invention is far more than a monopoly for fixing diamond prices; it is a mechanism for converting tiny crystals of carbon into universally recognized tokens of wealth, power, and romance. To achieve this goal, De Beers had to control demand as well as supply. Both women and men had to be made to perceive diamonds not as marketable precious stones but as an inseparable part of courtship and married life. To stabilize the market, De Beers had to endow these stones with a sentiment that would inhibit the public from ever reselling them. The illusion had to be created that diamonds were forever — “forever” in the sense that they should never be resold.”
On a somewhat related note, I recently finished watching the first season of Mad Men. I wouldn’t say it’s great, but it definitely is worth watching.
:o! What’s this? A comment update!
I completely agree mate, if you control how people percieve things, you effectively control them. If you decide to start a New World Order, let me know!
You know, you should really fix the comment box(es) so that we don’t have to delete the text they contain…
Mark