The Campaign

Based on the insight that people with hearing loss are in denial, we developed a way to test their hearing, without them knowing. ‘Does Love Last Forever?’ is a short film with two different endings, depending on the viewer’s hearing ability. It’s a hearing test in disguise. The film follows a couple’s relationship over four decades, and poses the question “Did love last?” For those who can hear well, their relationship remains loving. But the film is scripted and produced in such a way that people with a hearing problem perceive the relationship to deteriorate. The beauty of the idea lies in the parallel between the perceived deterioration of the on-screen relationship by hearing loss sufferers, and the growing disconnect they may be experiencing in their own life, due to hearing loss. This subtle reminder demonstrates the effects of a condition that they may have refused to admit.

Creative Execution

Crafting a film with two endings -Working closely with audiologists we analysed audiograms from patients with varying levels of hearing loss. This patient data informed all aspects of the production of the film including the script, dialogue, locations, scenarios and sound design. -We chose locations and scenarios that people who are hard of hearing have difficulty in (busy restaurant, heavy rain, TV playing). We introduced subtle sounds and background noises (passing cars, water sprinklers) to mask conversations. -The ability to lip read was gradually taken away and body language was choreographed to be interpreted negatively. A comprehensive digital experience The film was just the beginning of a complex digital journey to evaluate the hearing ability of users: •Social-led teasers led our target audience to the microsite to watch our film, without knowing it was a disguised test. •After watching the film, users were prompted to take an interactive hearing assessment created using frequency specific audio and footage from the film, quantifying their degree of hearing loss. •A negative result prompted data capture for a free consultation with Cochlear. This integrated with Cochlear’s lead nurture system, grading the score and placed them on the relevant treatment path. •For those with good hearing, they could experience mild, moderate, severe hearing loss for themselves via a unique Hearing Loss Simulation.