Highly commended
The Misheard Manifesto
by Golin & Virgo Health on behalf of Specsavers
Summary of work
Studies show that people avoid hearing tests due to stigma around hearing loss. They wait around 10 years to get their hearing checked, resulting in a reduced quality of life and feelings of isolation.
But what many don’t know is that if you get it checked and addressed early on, you can limit the damage in the long-run.
To start a new, less scary public health conversation about hearing loss and encourage people to get their hearing checked, Specsavers used famously misheard sayings - such as “Escape goat” and “nip it in the butt” to create a mass hearing check. After dropping these sayings (eggcorns) into mainstream TV and radio shows without any explanation to cause debate, we launched The Misheard Manifesto with wordsmith Gyles Brandreth, correcting the nation’s mishearing, sharing educational content and prompting them to book a hearing check at Specsavers. Securing a wave of mass National awareness and driving a staggering 400% above target increase in hearing check bookings.
Judges’ comments
‘The Misheard Manifesto’ is an impactful campaign with an important public health message. There is a huge amount of stigma surrounding hearing loss, and the team was able to successfully break this down and re-frame the problem with insights-grounded in humour. The programme lends itself to the British narrative and the use of celebrity partners was excellent.
