CHE Proximity’s Hearing Test in Disguise for Cochlear was one of those ideas that every creative wishes they’d come up with – and that has shown in its awards tally.
CHE has followed it up with another clever concept to raise awareness of both hearing loss and Cochlear’s implant solutions. Hearprint is an online application that calibrates online video and music to the listener’s unique hearing ability.
It effectively “restores hearing” to the 3.6 million Australians living with some form of hearing loss. And makes them aware of the deficit with which they are living.
Anyone can download the software as a Google Chrome extension to hear all their favourite online films, TV shows and music, made perfect for them.
“No two people hear the world the same,” explained Janet Menzies, general manager – Cochlear Australia and New Zealand. “The new Hearprint tool helps Australians to visualise their unique sound calibration.”
Hearprint also helps to describe the difference between Cochlear’s implants and hearing aids, which simply turn up the volume for all sounds around the wearer. Cochlear implants accommodate an individual’s unique hearing needs by recalibrating their ears to the world around them to restore their hearing.
Hearprint has been applied to a series of documentaries, by The Glue Society’s Jonathan Kneebone, which tell the stories of how Cochlear is changing the lives of people with hearing loss. The first two of these are the story of Jennie Brand-Miller, nutritional scientist and professor of human nutrition at the University of Sydney, who suffered 20 years of progressive hearing loss before a Cochlear implant allowed her to fulfill her passions as an academic, pioneering the Glycemic Index, and the story of Andy King, a high performance surf coach, whose life suddenly put on hold after losing his hearing from a coward punch. After receiving a Cochlear implant, found his sense of self and became Surf Australia’s most esteemed coach.
Brian Jefferson, group creative director at CHE Proximity, commented, “We don’t want to just make ads for Cochlear, we want to create experiences that help people reconsider their hearing and how Cochlear could help. Every day, thousands of Australians aren’t hearing as they should so for those people, the Hearprint turns every video on the internet into a chance to realise there’s a better solution. And what better way to introduce it to the world than through the amazing stories of Jennie and Andy.”
Jonathan Kneebone added, “Following on from the success of the Hearing Test In Disguise it has been exciting for us to also direct this latest piece of innovative creativity – where we reveal the significant human impact of such incredible technology.”
Hearprint was recently launched in Cochlear’s Macquarie Park headquarters with special panel featuring Andy King; Ant White, chief creative officer of CHE Proximity; and Janet Menzies, general manager – Cochlear Australia and New Zealand. Advertising and PR campaigns, and a website experience, are set to follow.
Over the next few months an addressable media campaign will promote the technology and Jennie’s story to select audiences, along with a PR presence and website experience designed to capture leads.
Hearing loss stats in Australia – adults
- The prevalence of hearing loss, in the better ear, is estimated to be 3.6 million people in Australia in 2017, this represents 14.5% of the total Australian population
- In 2060, it is estimated that the prevalence of hearing loss (better ear) will reach up to 7.8 million people – 18.9% of the total population
- There is evidence that there is significant delay between people starting to experience hearing loss and receiving hearing services
- The financial costs of hearing loss in 2017 were estimated as $15.9 billion
- Total lost wellbeing due to hearing loss in Australia in 2017 was estimated to cost $17.4 billion *HCIA ‘Social and economic cost of hearing loss in Australia’ report June 2017
Credits:
Client: Cochlear Limited
VP of Marketing & Business Development, Cochlear Australia & New Zealand: Scott Housley
General Manager, Cochlear Australia & New Zealand: Janet Menzies
Senior Manager, Cochlear Asia Pacific: Ben Marosszeky
Senior Marketing Communications Manager, Cochlear Asia Pacific: Kerryn Burke
Senior Marketing Communications Manager, Cochlear Australia and New Zealand: Linda Ballam-Davies
Consumer Campaign Manager, Cochlear Asia Pacific: Kate Harrison
Cochlear Care Centre Manager, Cochlear Australia and New Zealand: Leonie Fewster
Cochlear Care Centre Manager, Cochlear Australia and New Zealand: Julie Decker
Agency: CHE Proximity
Chief Executive Officer: Chris Howatson
Managing Director: David Halter
Chief Creative Officer: Ant White
Group Creative Director: Brian Jefferson
Associate Creative Director: Letizia Bozzolini
Associate Creative Director: Lisa ONeill
Senior Copywriter: Cameron Brown
Group Account Director: Mariana Rice
Senior Account Director: Charlotte Jones
Senior Account Manager: Alice Jamieson
Head of Design: Jason Young
Senior Designer: Vanessa Saporito
Head of CHEP Films: Julie Duff
Production Co-ordinator: Katena Valastro
Creative Technologists:Matthew White & Patrik Fagard,
Technical Director: Matthew Rose
Production Company: Revolver/ Will O’Rourke
Director: Jonathon Kneebone @ The Glue Society
Managing Director & Executive Producer: Michael Ritchie
Executive Producer & Head of Projects: Josh Mullens
Producers: Jasmin Helliar & Isabella Vitelli
Directors of Photography: Alex Harrod & Jordan Maddocks
Post Production: The Glue Society Studios
Editing:The Glue Society
Flame Artist: Viv Baker
Colourist: Trish Cahill
Sound Studio: Noise International
Sound Designer: Kathleen Burrows
