OXO Faces of the Millennium Dinner

The Oxo Tower is situated on the south bank of the River Thames in London. In 1996, Harvey Nichols’ first restaurant opened on the eighth floor, called The Oxo Tower Restaurant, Bar and Brasserie. This pack was used to promote a special millennium dinner at these venues on 31 December 1999 priced at £750 or £1,000. The 52 ‘faces of the millennium’ are in fact faces of the 20th century, ranging from Queen Victoria (QS) to Princess Diana (QH). Apart from royalty, included are (unnamed but recognisable) men and women from the fields of sport, music, film, politics, entertainment and one horse (Red Rum?)! The colours used are most unusual: S = lilac and dark magenta with suit-signs in silver grey; H = light and dark grey-blue with suit-signs in lilac; C = carmine and yellow with suit-signs in silver grey; D = carmine and deep purple with suit-signs in lilac. There are no Jokers.

Above: OXO Faces of the Millennium Dinner playing cards made for Harvey Nichols, London, 1999. 52 cards + 8 extra cards with text. Size: 58 x 89 mm.

The menus, wines and other details are listed and described on the 8 extra cards. The pattern on the reverse is made up of the letters of ‘OXO’ repeated hundreds of times.