Ad of the Day: Harvey Nichols brings Tim Burton’s darkness and light to Christmas
‘Cable All the Way’ is the work of the directing duo The Berry Boys and is the first festive spot from the retailer in many years.
Harvey Nichols has joined forces with The World of Tim Burton, the global exhibition making its final stop at London’s Design Museum. To celebrate this partnership, the retailer has teamed up with creative production studio The Berry and directing duo The Berry Boys to craft an unusual Christmas animation, bringing a touch of Burton’s magic to the holiday season.
To create the project, The Berry Boys collaborated closely with Harvey Nichols and the American filmmaker to bring his notable gothic-meets-expressionism style to life, authentically capturing the spirit of Burton’s elaborate world.
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The spot begins on a snowy Christmas morning, when the character Robot Boy wakes up to find Santa and his reindeer just departing, leaving a mountain of gifts under the tree. Eyes wide, he rolls over to explore the treasures from Harvey Nichols, spotting a delicious box of mince pies. Eagerly darting towards the treats, he fails to notice his power cable running out of slack.
After savoring one of the sweet treats, Robot Boy’s attention shifts to the biggest gift he’s ever seen. Just as he rushes to claim it, his power cable unplugs, and he falls still, just inches away from his prize.
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But then, in the nick of time, Santa returns with one last gift: an extension cable. He plugs Robot Boy back in, granting him an endless power source. Fully charged, the excitable character embraces the enormous present joyfully, and Christmas is saved.
Harvey Nichols and The Berry worked closely with Burton and his team to capture his unique vision for the spot, with the team studying his films extensively. Using mood boards to recreate his signature mix of eerie charm with warmth, the creative team looked at objects like wonky furniture, weathered wood, rusty metals and soft tungsten lighting to make each frame work. Post-production then saw The Berry work entirely in Cinema 4D, which streamlined the process.
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The ad will run from today across social media, online and in-store.
Credits
The Berry (creative production studio)
Directed by: The Berry Boys (Ryan Burnham & Luke Robson)
Clients: Harvey Nichols, Tim Burton, the Design Museum
Producer: Mariella Driskell
Senior motion designer: Jamal Bennett
Lead animator: Alan Towndrow
Animation: The Berry
Production support: Alex Burnham & Ashley Day
Production assistant: Nell Clacher
Senior creative producer: Andy Daly
Finance director: Jeanette Lilley
Sound design & music: The Berry
Mixing & mastering: 750MPH
Harvey Nichols
Marketing director: Victoria Bell
Head of press and marketing: Alistair Scott
Head of brand, creative and content: Claudia Mahoney
Campaigns and promotions manager: Doné Taute
Creative producer and bookings editor: Nick Rainsford
Creative and design manager: Miguel Morte
Visuals editor: Jaclyn Basile
Social media manager: Abigail Trout
Campaigns and promotions assistant: Ellie Freegard