Specsavers look to Flickerfest talent for new spot
Specsavers has launched the latest iteration of its long-running ‘Should’ve gone to Specsavers’ platform, in partnership with Bondi film festival Flickerfest.
The new 30-second spot was directed by up-and-coming Melbourne creative and film maker, Jesse Vogelaar, who was selected from 135 applicants to create their own version of the campaign.
Vogelaar worked in partnership with Specsavers’ in-house marketing team, along with indie creative agency Sunday Gravy, to create a spot that plays on the perceived absurdity of a suburban house auction.
Set in Australian suburbia, the story features a passionate auctioneer auctioning off a house to a crowd of prospective buyers.
Building up to a winning bid, the auctioneer points to the back of the crowd and exclaims “1.4 million to the man up the back!”. As he congratulates the winning bidder, the crowd turns to look at the new house owner and instead see a van parked on the street featuring a cartoon plumber waving.
As a tradesman closes the door of the van and drives away, the auctioneer continues to wave him inside the property as the iconic tagline appears on the screen.
Specsavers ANZ director of marketing planning, Shaun Briggs, said: “For over 15 years, we’ve seen audiences continue to love our ‘Should’ve Gone to Specsavers’ ads. We were so excited to give Jesse the platform to put his own creative spin on a beloved campaign.
“We are delighted with the final product and excited to see the ad come to life on the big screen at Flickerfest. The Should’ve messaging continues to inspire audiences to be as excited about eye health as we are, and Jesse’s concept showcases this in a fresh new way.”
Vogelaar added: “The famous ‘Should’ve gone to Specsavers’ line was a great framework for coming up with my own concept and the folks at Specsavers were really supportive in bringing it to life.
“As someone who’s shortsighted, there’s been a few times that I’ve run into a case of mistaken identity – so it was a lot of fun to write this idea and set it within the theatre of an auction. I hope audiences get a laugh out of it like the other “Should’ve” ads that have come before it.”
Sunday Gravy create director Garret Fitzgerald added: “The Specsavers filmmaker competition unearthed an up and coming director, so to ensure it was on brand they turned to a trusted agency partner to guide them. “Supporting an emerging talent while working with such an iconic platform has been incredibly rewarding. A special thanks to Guilty who joined us in helping bring Jesse’s spot to life.”
The spot premiered at the opening night of the 33rd Flickerfest 2024 Short Film Festival on the 19th of January and will play through the festival’s national tour until October 2024, as well as across BVOD, SVOD, YouTube and cinema.
Credits:
Director: Jesse Vogelaar
Producer: Cinnamon Darvall
Production Company: Guilty
Creative Agency: Sunday Gravy
Media Agency: Initiative
Specsavers
Jane Hoban, Trading Director ANZ
Shaun Briggs, Director of Marketing Planning ANZ
Goran Majstorovic, Head of Brand Creative ANZ
Anri McHugh, Head of Brand Planning & PR ANZ
Emma Kershaw, Brand Marketing Communications Manager, Planning and PR ANZ
Joanne Dixon, Senior Marketing Manager, Brand Creative ANZ
Hannah Parkes, Marketing Executive, Brand Creative ANZ
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