Specsavers - Squintervention

Specsavers and Golin London tackle ‘Resting Squint Face’ with humorous campaign.

With more than half of Brits regularly squinting to focus on their phones and computers, Specsavers is calling on friends, family or colleagues to stage a ‘Squintervention’.

The new integrated creative campaign from Golin London is part of a wider through-the-line campaign from Specsavers highlighting how regular squinting can be a symptom of presbyopia – a common change in near vision which people often start to notice in their mid-40s. It affects 1.8 billion people globally yet only 27% of Brits have heard of it, according to new research by Specsavers.

By reframing this as ‘Resting Squint Face’, the tongue-in-cheek campaign aims to raise awareness – and eyebrows – and encourage more people to get their eyes tested.

Golin London’s campaign is centred around an amusing 90” launch film – written by Matt Roach and directed by Craig Ainsley through Arts & Sciences – which parodies the genre of public service announcements and shows how squinting can make you look more confused, annoyed, older, or even “like you’re trying to quietly break wind”.

Set to poignant music, the wonderfully silly spot features testimonials of people living with Resting Squint Face, including a man who has become so tired of reading books at arm’s length that he has hired someone to hold books for him.

The full presbyopia campaign runs across AV, radio, OOH and digital, supported by Manning Gottlieb, and the ‘Squintervention’ element of the campaign featuring the PSA and influencer content will run across social and YouTube, led by Golin London and Tangerine Communications.

Matt Roach, Creative Director at Golin, said:“Many people don’t realise how often they squint (you may even be squinting right now), so we set out to turn friends, family members and colleagues into our messengers. This ridiculous PSA provides a fun way to gently mock loved ones to encourage them to get their eyes checked. We hope the campaign results in less people on video calls squinting like they’re walking through a sandstorm.”

Simone Roberts, Marketing Communications Lead at Specsavers, said:“The full campaign highlights the relatable coping actions many people age 40+ do to compensate for their changing eyesight, like reading at arm’s length, enlarging fonts, and generally squinting at things close up. The challenge is, although the symptoms are common, the official clinical term presbyopia isn’t well known and can intimidate people. The memorable name ‘Resting Squint Face’ – hilariously brought to life in Golin’s script – is a way to tap into relatability and spark conversations. An eye test can quickly identify presbyopia, and glasses or contact lenses can make daily tasks so much easier, especially in the workplace.”

If you think you, a loved one or a colleague might have Resting Squint Face, book an eye test at your local Specsavers store or visit specsavers.co.uk to find out more about presbyopia and how easily it can be corrected.