Something missing from Harvey Nics...

In an attempt to increase its profile within the 18-30's age group, Harvey Nics has launched its Christmas campaign, the "Walk of Shame".


The ad shows a selection of different girls, looking decidedly worse for wear, attempting to make it home after a night on the tiles. It includes some amusing scenarios (my favourite being the girl devouring a kebab at a bus stop whilst receiving a disgruntled look) and clearly expresses the bedraggled feeling so many experience the morning-after the night-before.

After these shots, up pops a screen telling the viewer to 'Avoid the Walk of Shame this season'.

Then we see a flawless beauty (naturally wearing clothes from the Harvey Nichols collection) strut her stuff. She travels down the street beaming with self confidence the other post-party sufferers’ lack, even handling an effortless exchange with the postman.

The message - change your Walk of Shame into a Stride of Pride by wearing amazing clothes.

The Ad has been received well (minus a few remarks on the brand's YouTube page querying the model-like appearance of the final character which questions whether she genuinely represents the average individual) and I have to say that overall I like it –

- The campaign tells an engaging story and uses scenes I believe the majority of the target audience will be able to relate to with varying degrees of self-authenticity. The message is clear and concise, and we’re hearing it! 

HOWEVER, something is missing.

Instead of shooting directly to the image of this self assured elegance, I think that the communications would have been much more effective if the model was first shown, at the beginning of her walk, questioning her appearance.

Then as she caught a glimpse of herself in a stray mirror, shop window or car door and stopped to check herself out, the audience would be able to witness the transformation in her character as she concluded from her assessment that she still looked hot!

This way her attitude could be unambiguously attributed to her clothes and not say, her personality.

I feel that this lack of coherent link is a bit like seeing a snowman without a carrot for its nose, or a snow stricken tree without a robin - still great to look at but a little disappointing knowing that it could’ve been that bit more special.