Specsavers Prompts Consumers Not to Settle for ‘OK’ Hearing in New Audiology Campaign

A new campaign from Specsavers ‘OK hearing is not OK’ launching this week, aims to cement its position as the go-to brand for better hearing care in the UK/Ireland and is encouraging people to take action to improve their hearing.

Research shows that issues with hearing can often come with a stigma associated with ‘old age’ and communications from the audiology market has done little to alleviate that – until now. Rather than addressing the problem, millions of people are putting up with hearing issues and getting by with ‘just about ok’ hearing.

Having tackled the high cost of hearing technology, Specsavers is now reimagining how hearing care should be communicated in a more simplified and compelling way with a campaign that spans radio, TV, press, OOH and digital display over the coming six weeks.

In its unmistakable brand tone of voice, with ‘OK hearing is not OK’, Specsavers is saying that no-one needs to settle for hearing that is not as clear as it could be.

The TV spot takes place in a bustling café, where lots of background noise makes a conversation barely audible ‘blah blah blah’ is all that can be heard which mimics the experience some people may have of ‘OK hearing’. The conversation suddenly switches to absolute clarity as a Specsavers voiceover commits to helping people turn ‘just about OK’ conversations into good ones. The radio spot takes a similar approach.

Across print and OOH, the headline ‘Hear The Whole Story, Not Just The Gist’ is presented in bold typography. For many people, the fact that they can still ‘get the gist’ is seen as a reason to not do anything about their hearing. Digital display, meanwhile, puts a greater focus on signposting customers to book a free hearing check – the first, easy step.

James Thomas, Specsavers audiology trading director, said, “The campaign's aim is to convey Specsavers’ expertise within audiology and continue to destigmatize consumer associations with hearing loss. OK hearing or getting the gist of conversations, is not OK and it’s important that people address their hearing issues as soon as possible where they can before their hearing deteriorates further. With over 5m people in the UK and 300,000 people in Ireland actively denying they have a problem with their hearing, we want to make more people feel comfortable to do something about it.”

Richard James, global creative director at Specsavers, added, “The work is laser focused on ensuring that people can hear as clearly as possible - a manifestation of our brand purpose; Changing lives through better sight and hearing.”