Kenzo won our hearts and minds in August with its ad by Spike Jonze that by shattered the fashion collection ad convention (It gets so tiring pretending you understand, let alone appreciate, a whimsical dream-like sequence of scenes that is either a story or someone’s trip.)
adam&eve/DDB was never going to anyone invade its turf for long. The agency has moved so far outside the fashion ad mould. It’s ad for Harvey Nichols winter 2016 collection is a play.
A wonderful, OTT high drama, parody of an Italian classic play (in fact it borrows from the subtitles of a scene from Luigi Parandeloo’s 1920s play, Come tu mi Vuoi (As You Desire Me).
The premise of the ad, Britalia, is that Harvey Nichols has taken the best of Italy enraging a spoiled Italian couple, who plot retribution. The names Armani, Valentino and Versace are inserted snugly into the 60 second commercial. And it’s an ad you’re not going to forget in another 60 seconds.
Credits:
Agency: adam&eve/DDB
Chief creative officer: Ben Priest
Executive creative directors: Ben Tollett & Richard Brim
Art director: Matt Fitch
Copywriter: Mark Lewis
Head of design: Paul Knowles
Agency producers: Kreepa Laxman & Louis Cubbon
Business director: Paul Billingsley
Account director: Britt Lippett
Account manager: Katie Gough
Agency planner: Enni Kukka-Tuomala
Production company: Indy8 (London) & BRW Filmland (Milan)
Director: Gary Freedman
Executive producers: Jani Guest & Luca Orlando
Producer: Jason Kemp
DoP: Manfredo Archinto
Editing: Adam Spivey @ The Playroom
Post production: MPC
Post producer: Amy Richardson
VFX supervisor: Mark Stannard
Colourist: Jean Clement Soret
Audio post production: Sam Ashwell & Jake Ashwell @ 750mph
Client: Harvey Nichols
Group creative and marketing director: Shadi Halliwell
Head of marketing: Anna Davidson
Britalia was created in partnership with the Italian Ministry of Economic Development and the Italian Trade Industry.
