Every year of my life, I find that I learn something I simply cannot believe is true. When I learned about the history of diamonds, De Beers, and conflict diamonds earlier this year, I was horrified, but, at the same time, I was in awe. Seeing how De Beers was able to create cultural values with their advertising slogan "A Diamond is Forever" amazes me. The story sheds light on just how powerful an affective advertising campaign truly is. I believe that knowing, and understanding, the history of Diamonds allows me to be more conscious of how advertising attempts to manipulate me, as well as society as a whole. The story does not end with advertising though. On top of that, the conflict diamonds controversy only illuminates the fact that big brands, and corporations, have gotten away with doing incredible amounts of harm to mostly leave the conflict they created unscathed. Thinking about these ideas got me thinking. Diamonds are still relevant, with the values De Beers ingrained into culture still present, so what other brands or companies may have done similar things? This question lead me to this project, A Brand is Forever, where I attempt to show how modern luxury brands are doing many of the same things De Beers did a century ago. Brands such as Gucci, Chanel, Coach, Dior, Hermes, and many more, have established a stable cultural relevance that is not easy to shake, but what are these brands truly up to behind the scenes? The truth is not as clean, shinny, and high-class as these brands would have you believe as many of their business practices are extremely unclear. The truth behind these luxury brands, as well as De Beers, is revealed in the short film: A Brand is Forever that can be found on this website. After watching the film, see the resources page on this website for useful reading, links, and more information on how to become a more conscious consumer.