Shoplifter-Shaming Videos

Harvey Nichols Turns Clips of People Stealing from a Store into an Ad

To promote its rewards program in a clever way, Harvey Nichols' newest commercial uses footage of people stealing from a store. Although this seems like an unusual route to take, the brand reasons: "Love freebies? Get them legally."

Footage of people stealing from the department store include men and women stuffing their coats and bags with merchandise that has yet to be paid for—right before the eyes of a security camera. The faces of the shoplifters in the ad are comically replaced by cartoon faces, which supplies an exaggerated display of the emotions these shoplifters are going through.

Near the end of the ad, some of the pursuits of shoplifters even result in intense chases. As much as loss prevention is a battle for many retailers, Harvey Nichols puts a clever spin on these negative acts.

Shoplifter-shaming Videos
Turning shoplifting incidents into humorous videos for promotional purposes.
Rewards Program Promotion
Using unconventional marketing tactics to promote rewards programs.
Loss Prevention Innovation
Finding creative ways to address loss prevention in retail.

Where This Applies

Retail
Exploring new marketing strategies to promote products and services.
Security and Surveillance
Implementing innovative technology and approaches to enhance loss prevention in retail.
Advertising and Marketing
Leveraging unconventional methods to create engaging and memorable ad campaigns.
SCORE
3.3 out of 10
GENDER
50% Men50% Women
MARKETTop markets: Europe
GENERATION
  • Gen Z
  • Gen Alpha
  • Millennial (primary audience)
  • Gen X (primary audience)
POPULARITY
Popularity 22%
Activity 69%
Freshness 8%