I like to spotlight off-beat promotions and ideas, and this one certainly qualifies. 

Yesterday was Pi Day, devoted to the iconic numeral. (It was March 14; get it?) Who invented Pi Day, how people observe it, I really can’t say. I’m sure many people had an experience like mine: A coworker informed me it was Pi Day, and we tried (in vain) to summon from the cobwebs of our brains just what Pi is, and why it’s important. And then we forgot about it.

Japanese jeweler Brilliance didn’t forget. It seems in Japan, March 14 is also White Day, where men buy their girlfriends and wives gifts. (In Japan, Feb. 14, a.k.a. our Valentine’s Day, involves women buying men gifts.) As a spokesperson for Brilliance told me: “It would be a good day for a man to propose his girlfriend.” 

Photo courtesy of Brilliance

But there’s more, the spokesperson says:

The 14th of March—White Day—is also similar to the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter [i.e. Pi]. The ratio cannot be divided. That sounds like the couple would last forever. Doesn’t it sound so romantic??

Sure does. And so, Brilliance decided to tout 0.314 ct. t.w. diamonds on Pi/White Day, in a campaign it called “Propose with Pi.” And while it’s not clear how many romantic nerds actually took them up on it, the ploy led to nice publicity, on CNet and other places.

So even though it’s a day late, I’d like to wish everyone a happy Pi Day—and especially the folks at Brilliance, for a pretty clever—maybe even brilliant—promotion.

Rob Bates

JCK News Director