Following last year’s ‘Could I be any clearer’ and 2013's 'Sorry I spent it on myself’, this year exhorts Christmas-present buyers to avoid 'gift face’.
Gift face is the contorted look adopted by someone who is pretending to be happy about the gift they have just received when it is not something they actually like.
The centrepiece of the campaign is a short film, to be hosted on the Harvey Nichols’ website and YouTube account, which follows Lucy as she experiences the contortions of several unwanted gifts around the family Christmas tree.
Adam&eveDDB created the film in a continuation of its partnership with the store.
The film will be shared via social media channels and boosted by SEO firm Zenith, while elements of the campaign will also run as print advertising.
The PR underpinning the idea for the film is a survey of a 1,000 people carried out by the store which found that 72 per cent of adults pull a gift face when they receive an unwanted present, while 63 per cent will either wear or use an unwanted present to avoid hurting a loved one’s feelings.
Alongside paid media, Harvey Nichols will use its window displays and in-store product displays to continue the ideas behind the campaign.
Shadi Halliwell, group creative & marketing director of Harvey Nichols, said: "This year we wanted to help people Avoid #GiftFace and ensure our customers give their special somebody a gift that truly hits the mark. We worked closely with adam&eveDDB to create yet another compelling and comical campaign that we know the British public can relate to. We’ve all been there! So this season shop with us for guaranteed satisfaction – Avoid #GiftFace, Give Harvey Nichols."
