Harvey Nichols Advertises Dogs as Accessories

Please click on and sign Tell Harvey Nichols: Dogs Aren’t Accessories

From Change
By Stephanie Feldstein

Harvey Nichols’ latest Christmas commercial, The Fashionista’s Must Have Accessory (below via YouTube), has been raising hackles since it hit the web last week.

It starts with a woman modeling shoes in front of a mirror, with a black and white long-haired Chihuahua beside her. She asks, “Do you have any other colors?” and the salesperson replaces her dog. Then we see puppies with price tags, a woman comparing two dogs as if they’re handbags, dogs in cases, dogs being wrapped, etc.

The commercial ends with the slogan: “Harvey Nichols, Not Just for Christmas,” a riff off the well-known slogan, “A Dog is for Life, Not Just for Christmas,” used by Dogs Trust, the largest dog welfare charity in the U.K.

Harvey Nichols posted that “Although Dogs Trust was not involved with this video, we fully support the charity’s famous slogan.” A press release assured people that the video is a satire and Harvey Nichols does not sell animals or condone animals as accessories.

Dogs Trust was unimpressed.

Beverly Cuddy, Editor and Publisher of Dogs Today magazine, posted a response on her blog from Dogs Trust Chief Executive, Clarissa Baldwin, who said the organization is disappointed and concerned by the ad. “There will be some who view this advert at face value and see nothing wrong with purchasing a puppy on a whim as a gift. Wrapping up dogs with bows and gift tags for humour’s sake is in poor taste.”

Related | Everyday Dogs: When you buy, they die

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A Harvey Nichols Christmas

After all, the “not just for Christmas” slogan wasn’t created to be cute; there’s a serious problem with dogs being bought as presents and then dumped after the seasonal novelty wears off.

Styleite wasn’t amused by the ad either, citing that March tends to be the busiest time of the year for animal shelters, as Christmas puppies are faced with the harsh reality that it’s no longer Christmas and they’re no longer tiny puppies.

Some people find the satire funny. Some find the reaction of animal advocates even funnier. But when you’ve worked in a shelter where the kennels not only fill up after the holidays, but people actually do turn in pets because they “got too big” or because the house was redecorated and the fur no longer matched (true story), it’s not so hilarious anymore.

The joke is further lost when, for instance, French Bulldogs make their way onto fashion industry Holiday Gift Guides, complete with a “Buy It Now” button pointing to a site where any sketchy, unregulated breeder can sell their living wares.

Cuddy points out that Harvey Nichols may not sell puppies, but London’s other department store giant, Harrods, does. Anti-puppy-mill groups have spent the holiday season campaigning against Harrods. Harvey Nichols just made their campaign that much harder. When you boil it down, the commercial showcasing small purebred dogs in their high-end store is basically an ad for puppy mills.

If the company wants to support Dogs Trust’s message, this commercial isn’t the way to do it. Dogs Trust has contacted Harvey Nichols about the ad, but the department store needs to hear from consumers, too. Tell the company to pull the ad and issue an apology to Dogs Trust and animal advocates everywhere.


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harvey nichols
you are in a pickle
bending to the whims
of fashion, fickle
but no matter what
trend wannabe
dogs are NEVER an
accessory

Karen Lyons Kalmenson