The Campaign

People didn't want to go to an optometrist to test their vision, so we decided to bring the eye test to them, by putting it in a spot people stare at every day - their TV screens. We found that people love testing their visual prowess when it comes to spotting errors in movies and shows, so we turned a 30-second commercial into a visual game by hiding over 15 errors within it; creating the first ad that tests your sight as you watch. At the end of the commercial people were encouraged to spot the errors for a chance to win a cash prize. They were also directed to a microsite where they could continue to watch the commercial on repeat and enter a competition. If they couldn’t spot any, or were having trouble, we gave them a simple solution: book an eye test online with the professionals.

Creative Execution

This campaign ran over 4 weeks, starting with the release of the TV commercial in both Australia and New Zealand on all major stations and catch up TV. Viewers were then directed to another edit placed on a microsite that allowed repeat viewing and provided the entry location for our competition. People were also directed to make a simple online booking for an eye check. Another edit was placed on Facebook so people could share errors they found with others in the comment section. Users who commented that they were struggling to spot any errors were replied to with a message and link to book a Specsavers eye test online. Hint and clue videos were release on social media weeks 2 and 3 to point out errors many people were missing, encouraging them to look again.

In total, over 3 million Australians and New Zealanders viewed the eye test on TV and online. The video was shared and viewed worldwide. Our 30-second video was placed on a microsite, with an average view time of four minutes, demonstrating high engagement. We created an ad people actually wanted to watch on repeat. Eye test bookings increased by 12%, showing a noticeable increase in awareness.

Based on the insight that people view eye tests as time-consuming and intrusive, we found a way to test people's eyesight in a way that was so entertaining and accessible that people went out of their way to do it over and over again. Increasingly, entertainment is being consumed via dual screening. We used this trend to our advantage, transforming a traditional TV commercial into an interactive game that took people from traditional to digital media, seamlessly.

We targeted anyone who could be experiencing vision loss but wasn’t having a regular eye test. This happened to cover most people in Australia and New Zealand, with the majority of those people being over 40 and more likely to experience eye health issues due to their age. Our strategic insight: people today are reluctant to get an eye test, but they spend countless hours watching screens; from TV to computers, to phones. So that’s precisely where we placed our innovative eye check – cleverly concealed in a commercial. An eye test isn't an enjoyable activity, but people do enjoy watching Specsavers’ 'Should've gone to Specsavers' commercials. So we used the already familiar element of 'Should've moments' as a way for people to check their vision in a fun and interactive way, and lead them directly to a location where they could easily book an eye test.