Brand overview

Specsavers is a UK-based optical retail chain known for its affordable eyeglasses, contact lenses, and hearing aids. The brand has built a reputation for high-quality service and humorous advertising. In its campaigns it strives to remove the stigma around vision loss and hearing loss via their “entertain and educate” strategy.

The Misheard Version

Launched in 2023, “The Misheard Version” campaign featured the iconic 1987 hit “Never Gonna Give You Up” by Rick Astley. The campaign played on the fact that Rick Astley’s song is one with the most commonly misheard lyrics. The brand got Rick Astley to re-record the iconic song with altered lyrics based on misheard lyrics people often mentioned online. The goal was to motivate people to have their hearing checked.

The song was released without further explanation as a mass hearing test causing confusion among listeners who shared their confusion on socials igniting a national conversation on hearing loss. The misheard version of the song was played over 20 million times in the first eight hours, driving 138% increase in hearing loss google searches and putting hearing aids as no.1 trending topic online. It also led to a 66% increase in Specsavers hearing test bookings. It led to a 6% increase in normalising the stigma around hearing loss, in line with Specsavers’s purpose.

Role of audio and radio

Audio and radio played a pivotal role in amplifying the campaign’s reach and impact. The audio format allowed Specsavers to effectively deliver its messaging, making it memorable for listeners. Radio spots featured snippets of the misheard version of Rick Astley song, cleverly adapted to highlight the theme of mishearing, engaging listeners while promoting the brand’s services – free hearing test. The spots encouraged listeners to consider that if they often mishear, it may be time for a hearing check.

On top of that, in partnership with Bauer UK, Rick Astley was part of a special show with Ken Bruce on Greatest Hits station, picking his favourite songs which included the Misheard Version. As part of Magic FM, Rick Astley led an ad break takeover promoting the Misheard Version and a chance for listeners to win tickets to his show. Follow up content across both stations and multiple presenters included live reads, promoting the song whilst highlighting Specsavers audiology messages.

In addition to traditional radio advertising, the campaign utilized digital audio platforms and streaming services, ensuring the message reached diverse audiences. The audio format enabled Specsavers to leverage the power of sound, capturing attention and inviting consumers to share their own misheard lyrics and experiences, further enhancing engagement.

Reception

“The Misheard Version” was met with widespread acclaim, both from consumers and industry experts. The clever use of nostalgia, combined with Rick Astley’s enduring popularity, resonated well with audiences. The humorous approach not only entertained but also effectively communicated the brand’s message about the importance of regular eye checks and hearing assessments.

Additionally, the campaign has won 29 awards, including UK’s first ever Grand Prix for Audio & Radio at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, Best use of Audio in Creative Circle awards and many more.

Evolution of the campaign - The Misheard Manifesto

The latest iteration of the campaign was “The Misheard Manifesto”. To call attention to the issue and the importance of hearing checks, Specsavers teamed up with British broadcaster Gyles Brandreth, a well-known older figure, who addressed the most commonly confused sayings (‘Damp squid’ instead of damp squib; ‘escape goat’ instead of ‘scape goat’) and revealed that he has recently found out he suffers from hearing loss.

For this campaign Specsavers worked with Global Radio across their stations with 40 second teasers followed up by 60 second brand ads across Global network and 90 second micro shows across Classic FM. This was accompanied by online page and competition.

The Misheard Manifesto is the latest in Specsavers’ audiology campaign series, a multi-year creative strategic platform created by Golin, London. The integrated campaign is supported by earned, owned and paid social and radio

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