# Shoplifter-Shaming Videos Harvey Nichols Turns Clips of People Stealing from a Store into an Ad By Laura McQuarrie | Published 2015-07-15 | Business Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/stealing-from-a-store References: [adsoftheworld](http://adsoftheworld.com/media/online/harvey_nichols_love_freebies) & [harveynichols](http://www.harveynichols.com/) To promote its [rewards program](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/asda-checkout-challenge) in a clever way, Harvey Nichols' newest commercial uses footage of [people stealing from a store](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/maxi-babybel-ad). 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](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/trigo-vision) is a battle for many retailers, Harvey Nichols puts a clever spin on these negative acts. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 3.3/10 - Popularity: 22% | Activity: 69% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Business](https://www.trendhunter.com/business) > [Retail](https://www.trendhunter.com/retail) ## Key Themes ### Key Themes Behind This Trend - **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. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Sneaker-Stealing Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/rob-it-to-get-it.md) - [Provocative Guerrilla Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mwcurated.md) - [Cup-Stealing Clothing Collections](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/steal-artois.md) - [Cosmetic Criminal Commercials](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/elfs-cosmetic-criminals.md) - [Playful Hotel Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/bwh-hotels.md) - [Humorous Brand Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ikea-rewards-program.md) - [Brighton Retail Launch Ads](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ikea-brighton.md) - [Grocery Store Ad Spots](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/uk-supermarket-chain.md) - [Beauty Crime Mockumentaries](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cosmetic-criminals.md)