Harvey Nichols promotes loyalty app with shoplifting film

Department store Harvey Nichols has released a film using real CCTV footage of shoplifters to promote its new loyalty app as part of its 'Love freebies? Get them legally' campaign.

The tongue-in-cheek video, created by Adam&EveDDB and produced by the Layzell Brothers at Blink, uses actual footage of what it calls “cheeky visitors” attempting to steal clothing, jewellery and beauty items from its Knightsbridge store, with the shoplifters faces obscured by animated cartoon characters, to “protect the guilty,” states Harvey Nichols.

The 90-second video montage shows the shoplifters getting caught in the act, chased and bundled to the ground by security, before the film finishes with the tag line ‘Love freebies? Get them legally’.

The idea is to show customers the best way to get their hands on exclusive rewards, in reference to the department store’s new Rewards by Harvey Nichols app, which allows customers to “fast track to complimentary services, exclusive perks and stylist privileges”.

Harvey Nichols uses CCTV footage of real shoplifters in new advert

Harvey Nichols group creative and marketing director Shadi Halliwell said: “We wanted to create a campaign which plays on the universal truth that everybody loves a freebie. By downloading Rewards by Harvey Nichols, our customers are sure to be spoilt, the legal way, with fabulously stylish treats.”

Ben Tollett, executive creative director at adam&eveDDB, added: “This campaign is designed to send a clear warning to the nation’s shoplifters. The only free thing they’ll get when they steal from Harvey Nichols is a day trip to the local police station.”

The online film will be accompanied by a print campaign, showing stylish shoppers being caught red-handed, and in-store activity reminding potential shoplifters that there’s now a legal way to get a freebie.

Harvey Nichols has become known for its tongue-in-cheek promotional videos, some of which have face criticism, such as the ‘Walk of Shame’ campaign that was deemed to be “distasteful” by the Advertising Standards Authority for featured dishevelled women heading home from a one-night stand, and the ‘Try To Contain Your Excitement’ campaign that showed models who appeared to have wet themselves.

Images and video: Harvey Nichols