Ted Lasso and Father Ted Director Takes on New Specsavers ‘Should’ve’ TV Campaign ‘Airport’

The campaign was launched on Channel 9News last night while OOH executions launch in Sydney and Melbourne airports today.

Harnessing the signature Specsavers humour, the TV ad introduces us to married couple Greg and Ella who are about to go on holiday. Ella manages to check in serenely ahead of Greg whilst he parks the car. Greg finally skids into the airport lobby with his wheelie suitcase, cutting it fine to make the departure.

Checking the departure board, Greg rushes frantically to catch his flight and various tense yet amusing scenarios ensue that everyone can relate to. These include the classic moment when you have to scull your bottle of water in front of an unimpressed security guard or relinquish your belt and new espadrilles for a body scan, and of course trying to run along a packed travelator when everyone else is walking.  

The scenario ends with Greg racing jubilantly out onto the tarmac where the aircraft is being prepped for takeoff. We cut to a concerned-looking Ella who is already onboard, peering out of a porthole window as she clocks her husband down below. But will he manage to board the plane, or should he have gone to Specsavers?

The ad is crafted entirely without dialogue, with the comedic emphasis being on visual humour. Our protagonist turns into a stuntman of sorts to get around the airport as fast as possible and to his departure gate on time.

Running until February 2025, the campaign is supported by TV, Cinema, SVOD/BVOD, YouTube, Uber, and OOH. The OOH execution includes placements inside key airports in Sydney and Melbourne and around major airports in key states which play off the possibility that the media vendor Should’ve Gone to Specsavers as they might have dispatched the wrong ‘welcome to’ destination creative to each airport.

Declan Lowney, director, said, "Specsavers have managed to achieve that rare feat of creating their own distinctive brand of humour. Their work has a comedy voice of its own, so my role was to get the best out of the script and maximise the laughs. And telling a story purely with images - along with humour and wit - was right up my runway."

Shaun Briggs, director of marketing planning at Specsavers, said, “Given the massive popularity of Ted Lasso in this market it is great to be able to work with comedy genius Declan Lowney to bring the Specsavers trademark humour to life. But as with all ‘Should’ve’ campaigns it’s relatable and has that core serious message at the heart of it: that mistakes are easily made if your eyesight is failing, which is a good reminder to Australians of all ages to look after their eye health as we head into the busy school and summer holiday travel periods.”

Richard James, creative director at Specsavers, The Agency, says, “We wanted to do something different with this spot – up the jeopardy, up the scale, and increase the gags. It’s a fun spot that we’re sure will resonate with all sorts of people. Declan and the team worked really hard together to bring the script to life so successfully.”

The creatives behind the work were Andrea Raanaas & Mike McCallum and Simon Bougourd & Naomi Bishop. The spot was produced through Merman. The Australian media agency is Initiative.