My favourite campaign is 'Sorry, I spent it on myself': Vishnu Srivatsav

While the beauty and emotion behind gifting is all very well, there is another truth which is that we are all a bit selfish when it comes to giving something to people, says Srivatsav

Which is your favourite campaign and why?

My favourite work is Harvey Nichols’ famous, “Sorry, I spent it on myself” campaign from adam&eveDDB. Launched in 2013, this campaign was not just limited to a medium — be it television, films or digital. It was based on a series of ridiculous products that the department store chain used to convey that a little something for a loved one means a bigger something for the giver. And they chose products that were as bizarre as sink plugs or gravel. These were products that were created to ensure that people who spend all the gifting money on themselves also have something to gift their family with the message “Sorry, I spent it on myself”. All the video content, print, social, the whole thing was based around these bizarre products. The video advertisements captured the reactions of the recipients and those of the givers. Givers were left to reflect on their own spending pattern that left them with a lot less for their near and dear ones. To me, this campaign celebrates something that is essentially human about gifting. And any campaign that celebrates fallibility is a winner for me.

On what parameters did you base your decision?

While analysing any advertisement, I ask myself three questions. First I ask is it true. Because you can go as over the top as you want in your communication, but unless you have a grain of human truth, there will be very little relatability. We have seen this time and time again. The truly memorable campaigns speak the truth. My second question: Is it new? Christmas gifting is an age-old concept and brands such as Harvey Nichols and John Lewis still find refreshing ways to bring insights alive every single year, Christmas after Christmas. Third, I ask myself if the advertising is entertaining. You can tell all the truth all you want but at a fundamental level, if you’re putting out content, you own the responsibility of not boring the person watching it.

What was the key idea behind the campaign?

While the beauty and emotion behind gifting is all very well, there is another truth which is that we are all a bit selfish when it comes to giving something to people. And this simple truth was brought alive in the most surprising manner.

My take: It delivers the message that everything isn't rosy in life, nor should it be in advertising really well

Brand: Harvey Nichols

Year of launch: 2013

Agency: adam&eveDDB

Do you remember the campaign winning any industry award? Do you think advertising awards serve any purpose? 

This particular campaign won everything — Grand Prix, Pencil... the works. Advertising awards serve a purpose if they validate popular opinion. But sometimes work that nobody knows goes into a basement in the south of France and comes out famous. Awards are for the glory. The work needs to be famous anyway.

Do you remember some of the names who worked on the campaign?

It was created by adam&eveDDB, London, one of my favourite agencies. Not only have they done the Harvey Nichols campaign, they’ve also done the new John Lewis Elton John work as well.

Was any of your own work inspired by the campaign?

The humanity and fallibility are things that I’ve tried to introduce into my work. The “Positive-Negative” campaign for Duracell batteries that I had done also celebrates this human fallibility (they came out the same year). It delivers the message that “everything isn’t rosy in life and nor should it be in advertising” really well.