The Pout...

Why do so many jewelry ads feature a pouty-faced model who looks, well, pouty? If she's wearing a gorgeous, expensive piece of jewelry, why does she look so unhappy? You may be thinking "Why does this matter"? When it comes to marketing jewelry, I believe women want to know - what does wearing this jewelry communicate about me?

Every piece of jewelry tells a story. Ask any woman about a piece of jewelry she’s wearing and you’ll hear a tale of romance, travel, adventure, friendship, celebration or personal epiphany.

“This charm is an angel’s wings. My sister gave it to me before she moved to the west coast to let me know she’d always be looking out for me.”

“My parents got this for me as a graduation gift. I was the first person in my family to graduate from college.”

“I bought this for myself the day I found out I was promoted.”

“I found this in a tiny little shop in Nantucket and thought it was the most beautiful shade of blue I’d ever seen. Every time I touch it, it reminds me of walking along the shore and staring out into that beautiful sea.”

Jewelry is about relationships; relationships with our spouses, our new loves, our family, our friends, and ourselves. The jewelry we wear speaks volumes about who we are. Women love talking about their jewelry. But I would argue that it’s less about bragging and more about communicating; communicating something about who they are and what’s important to them. Yes, sometimes what they’re communicating is “He spent a lot of money on me,” But there’s so much more to it than that.

So, please, enough with these ads showing fashion models with pouty looks on their faces, show a happy moment or memory of a special event.