We bawled over John Lewis’ £7 million bear and hare advert and got a little teary over M&S’s Alice In Wonderland-inspired campaign when we realized that achieving Rosie Huntington-Whiteley’s surfboard stomach was impossible. But, tears are not on the agenda at Harvey Nichols this holiday season.
The department store debuted its not-so-selfless Christmas advert, aptly titled “Sorry, I spent it on myself,” much to the surprise of shoppers. The luxury retailer is definitely not following the norm of employing heartwarming tactics to draw in shoppers. Harvey Nichols humorously plays on the notion of gluttony, instead, choosing to remind shoppers that in the midst of festive shopping chaos, they shouldn’t forget their own needs. We whole-heartedly concur.
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The ad features designer-clad individuals acting sheepish, as they give small presents to loved ones. The reactions to opening gifts from the “Sorry, I spent it on myself” collection (which includes toothpicks and paper clips) are priceless. We feel sorry for the little boy who receives a sink plug, whilst his mum scores a Lanvin dress, but we think Harvey Nichs is onto something.
Explaining the method in the madness, Julia Bowe, Harvey Nichols Press & Marketing Director told the
Evening Standard, “At the core of our brand is a sense of humor and not many luxury retailers do that but, the truth is gift-giving is stressful and we don’t always receive what we like. Some of us would prefer to spend the money on a fabulous dress!” We can’t argue with that.
Watch the complete ad below, and don’t forget to join in the selfish fun with the “Spent it on myself” Instagram competition.
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