Although their influence is now somewhat diminished, for more than a century they ran a text book marketing
campaign that ensured they earned vastly inflated prices for their shiny little rocks - first by buying up the newly discovered South African diamond mines so that they effectively controlled the market, then by creating the
impression of scarcity by ruthlessly controlling supplies; and then, in their pièce de résistance, commissioning one
of the most successful marketing
campaigns in history to create the tradition
of giving diamonds as engagement gifts; which includes the famous «diamonds are forever»
advertising campaign and sponsoring movies such as Gentleman Prefer Blonds (1953), To Catch A Thief (1955) and The Pink Panther (1963).