Helzberg Diamonds Returns to Its Roots with Social Media Relaunch of Iconic 1960s 'I Am Loved' Theme

KANSAS CITY, Mo., Nov. 29, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Helzberg Diamonds® today reached back to the 1960s and re-polished a gem from the corporate vault that has touched millions of people over more than 40 years.  The jeweler's iconic "I Am Loved" tagline is back in a new national multimedia marketing campaign that reflects the company's heritage as a family business sharing in the joy and love of important moments in its customers' lives. The campaign is highlighted by two thirty-second holiday-season television ads in which real couples discuss how they fell in love with each other. The ads, directed by Douglas Sloan of iContent, begin airing nationally on Nov. 29.

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Complementing the commercials is the re-launch of "I Am Loved" campaign, developed with direct and digital interactive agency Rosetta.  It is Helzberg's first social media campaign.

The new "I Am Loved" website was launched this week to serve as a hub for a variety of social media components, including Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Flickr, that give consumers multiple ways to share their stories of love and romance:

• On Twitter, visitors are encouraged to tweet their own messages about love using the designated #hashtag (#iamloved). Helzberg will showcase a "real time" feed of these tweets on the "I Am Loved" website. The company also hosts regular "Question of the Week" contests giving away a variety of prizes.
• A Facebook page invites visitors to connect with Helzberg and share messages of love.
• The Helzberg YouTube channel hosts the advertising campaign's television commercials and invites visitors to submit their own stories of love.
• A "Share the Love" function allows visitors to submit their own written stories and upload accompanying videos. Helzberg will select a featured story each month to spotlight on the website. Currently featured is a heartwarming video of Olympic figure skater Dorothy Hamill discussing how a love of figure skating drove her to win an Olympic medal and how she more recently fought breast cancer.  Hamill has designed a line of jewelry called "Love, Help and Hope™," available exclusively at Helzberg.  Helzberg will donate $5 from each purchase of this collection to Susan G. Komen for the Cure® with a $100,000 minimum guaranteed donation through September 30, 2011.

"Our new campaign is born from the rich history and culture of Helzberg Diamonds.  'I Am Loved' is a real story from real people – Barnett and Shirley Helzberg.  We are bringing that emotion to life through our efforts in order to harness those genuine feelings, as we believe everyone wants to feel loved.  We want to encourage people to take a moment out of their busy lives, especially during the holiday season, and share their own stories of love," said Beryl Raff, Chairman and CEO.

The "I Am Loved" tagline was originally conceived in 1967 by Barnett Helzberg Jr., the then thirty-something, third- generation president of Kansas City-based Helzberg Diamonds. Shirley Bush had just accepted Barnett's marriage proposal, and he felt so elated and so loved that he wanted everyone to share his emotion.  He created the "I Am Loved" button to give away in stores and announced it in the Kansas City Star newspaper in November of that year.  Helzberg initially ordered 50,000 buttons, but the supply was exhausted almost immediately, and the company was forced to place emergency rush orders to meet demand. Within weeks, "I Am Loved" became a national movement. An article by the New York Associated Press reported, "The latest craze is to show your affection by sending your heroes I AM LOVED® buttons. Among the notables receiving buttons were President Lyndon B. Johnson, Frank Sinatra, Joe Namath, Jose Ferrar and Sammy Davis, Jr."  "I Am Loved" buttons eventually became available in 11 languages and more than 50 million have been distributed.  Buttons remain available for free at Helzberg Diamond stores and is now being brought online through www.iamloved.com.

About Helzberg Diamonds

Helzberg Diamonds®, a retail and online jewelry store focused on customer service, was founded in 1915 and has over 230 stores nationwide, featuring a wide selection of fine jewelry, including diamond engagement rings and wedding rings, precious gems and watches. Helzberg Diamonds takes pride in its history of offering exceptional value, exclusive designs and timeless jewelry. Helzberg Diamonds is based in North Kansas City, Mo., and is part of the Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. (NYSE symbol BRK/B) family of companies. For the locations nearest you, call 1-800-HELZBERG (800-435-9237) or http://www.helzberg.com.

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