Harvey Nichols sparks Twitter buzz with tongue-in-cheek Christmas ad

Evocative Christmas adverts have in the past few years become a media event, but Harvey Nichols has broken the ‘warm and fuzzy’ mould with a refreshing and cheeky Christmas campaign.

‘Sorry I Spent It on Myself’ is the brilliant alternative (and antidote to) the hypersentimental tear-inducing offerings we’ve come to expect from the likes of John Lewis and Marks & Spencer.

The tongue-in-cheek advert encourages customers to spend as little as possible on family and friends in favour of indulging themselves – and has sparked a social media buzz after customers responded favourably to the content.

On Wednesday morning following the launch, “Harvey Nichols” and the hashtag “#SpentItOnMyself” were both trending on Twitter.

A brilliant touch is that each of the items seen on the ad –  including a box of toothpicks, a see-through glass salt cellar, metal-plated paper clips and authentic Lincolnshire gravel – are real items available to buy. Our office Secret Santa just stepped up a whole new level.

One of the best things about this advert is the manner in which it was broadcast. Rather than spend a small fortune securing an entire prime time ad break, Harvey Nichols ran the ad online via its website and YouTube – and the results speak for themselves.

To create a buzz in this crowded and excessive arena is quite the feat, and thus far it has been picked up by Guardian, Metro, Telegraph, MailOnline, Marie Claire and others, as well as offices across the UK.

Watch the ad:

Involved agency: Adam&eveDDB

 

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