skills/creative-director/references/legendary-campaigns/cards/harvey-nichols-mannequins-2011.md

---
id: harvey-nichols-mannequins-2011
title: "Mannequins"
brand: Harvey Nichols
agency: adam&eveDDB
year: 2011
country: UK
region: europe
industry: fashion_luxury
pattern: [P11]
category: ooh_print
idea_type: execution
involvement: passive_view
channel: physical
duration: campaign
goal: [awareness, engagement]
budget: low
emotion: [ironic, wry_affection]
emotion_tier: 3
insight_domain: status
media_epoch: ooh
awards: [unknown]
quality_score: 6
scalability: regional
risk: edgy
confidence: medium
quality: stub_enriched
source_url: https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/scared-mannequins-harvey-nichols
---

# Mannequins (Harvey Nichols · 2011)

## Insight
Harvey Nichols' sale prices are so low they feel shocking even to store mannequins — the discount is dramatic enough to warrant a visible reaction.

## Mechanic
Window display and print showing mannequins in postures of apparent shock or distress at the sale prices being shown — using the physical retail display format as comedy performance.

## Why it worked
Animating inanimate store fixtures as emotional responders to the brand's own sale communicated dramatic discount in an unexpected, memorable visual format. The joke required no copy — the posture told the story.

## Steal
Use fixed, physical brand assets (mannequins, signage, product packaging) as characters responding to your own brand message. Giving inert objects an emotional reaction costs nothing and breaks visual convention.

## Related
- Pattern: [[../MOC-pattern.md#p11]]
- Sibling: [[metro-trains-dumb-ways-to-die-2012.md|Dumb Ways to Die]]
- Sibling: [[old-spice-man-your-man-could-smell-like-2010.md|The Man Your Man Could Smell Like]]
- Emotion match: [[guinness-surfer-1999.md|Surfer]]

---

*Author: Serge Shima ([t.me/aimastersme](https://t.me/aimastersme) · [sergeshima.com](https://sergeshima.com) · [aimasters.me](https://aimasters.me)) · License: CC BY 4.0 — attribution required · Source: [smixs/creative-director-skill](https://github.com/smixs/creative-director-skill)*