As our world has become noisier and more complicated in all senses, there has been a growing movement in valuing the simple things, such as the sound of a wood pigeon or the nostalgia embedded in the crackle of a vinyl record.

Having given rise to a multitude of ‘slow radio’ shows and ASMR videos, this is now the premise behind Specsavers’ latest ad campaign, which aims to promote its hearing services.

The campaign includes a film which focuses solely on evocative sounds such as the squelch of wellies in mud or the whoosh of bus doors opening and closing. Avoiding any voiceover at all, it is intended to stand out in a manic commercial break by providing a sense of calm simplicity.

The brand then takes this notion onto billboards via a series of ads which feature onomatopoeic words and phrases to represent everyday sounds, including a kettle coming to the boil or popcorn popping.

Featuring stripped-back design which focuses on the words and again avoids over-egging the message, the posters also feature witty transcriptions of more unexpected sounds into words, including a car being locked or “the sound of an absolute classic on someone’s else’s headphones”. It all adds up to lovely work, which spreads its message subtly and without condescension.

Credits:
Agency: Specsavers
Creatives: Bertie Rapkin, Jon Morgan
Creative Director: Richard James
Head of Design: Sid Tomkins
Senior Creative Strategist: Polly Evelegh
Design: George Russell, Tom Slinger, Robin Davidson
Production Company: Rogue Films
Director: Simon Ratigan