Smiley Specsavers Commercials
The British Based Specsavers Group Limited is a multi-national, optical retail chain, founded in 1984 by Optometrist Mary Perkins and her financier husband Douglas.
Whether inconvenienced by near-sightedness (Myopia), or far-sightedness (Hypermetropia), the chain’s long running, ‘Should Have Gone To Specsavers’ communication campaign, has successfully highlighted the accessibility of the retail chain’s affordable and stylish, prescription eyewear for all ages.
Entertaining scenarios of situational dilemmas and daily mishaps that Specsavers optometric solutions could easily have prevented, have been brought to amusing life by many of the industry’s top commercial filmmakers and directors.
1. Specsavers, Das Boot
Advertising Agency: Specsavers Creative, London, UK
This classic Specsavers commercial is a skillfully executed parody of Filmmaker Wolfgang Petersen’s tense, 1980’s U Boat epic, ‘Das Boot’ about the extreme trials and tribulations of a German submarine crew during WWII.
Superbly directed by Chris Mudge using 16mm film, the Specsavers ‘Das Boot’ send-up commercial, was filmed in the UK’s South Coast County of Hampshire, at the Royal Navy Submarine Museum in Gosport.
The story concludes with the famous ‘Should Have Gone To Specsavers’ message that is always delivered with a rewarding smile for viewers.
2. Specsavers, The Specs Effect
Advertising Agency: Specsavers Creative, London, UK
‘The Specs Effect’ is an entertaining parody of the famous male body-spray ‘Billions’ commercial in ‘The Axe/ Lynx Effect’ brand campaign portfolio.
Directed by Daniel Kleinman, the Specsavers spoof, involving hordes of bikini-clad women, is an amusingly accurate pastiche of the original ‘Billions’ commercial.
3. Specsavers, Boiler
Advertising Agency: Specsavers Creative, London, UK
Filmed on location in idyllic Provence, Daniel Kleiman creates a timeless and whimsical setting of life in rural France for this amusing story about a faulty boiler in a chateau.
The commercial about a myopic repairman is charmingly enacted and a joy to behold.
4. Specsavers, Hotel Sauna
Advertising Agency: Specsavers Creative, London, UK
Daniel Kleinman must have had great fun directing this story about a hotel guest’s hapless sauna experience.
The commercial features a surprise appearance by world-renowned chef Gordon Ramsay who is left uncharacteristically speechless by the guest’s ‘steamy’ encounter.
5. Specsavers, Fawlty Car
Advertising Agency: Specsavers Creative, London, UK
Directed by Tim Bullock, the commercial stars John Cleese who reprises a similar scene from the hugely successful TV comedy series ‘Fawlty Towers’ that ended in 1979.
Fawlty Towers was the name of a fictional hotel in the seaside town of Torquay on the ‘English Riviera’ and run by Basil and Sybil Fawlty, played by John Cleese and Prunella Scales.
The ongoing conflicts between Basil Fawlty’s bombastic and outrageous behaviour and his pedantic wife’s attempts at managing his chaotic ineptitude, provided much of the humour in the unfolding episodes that were sold to 17 countries and continued running by poular demand long after the series ended.
6. Specsavers, Workout
Advertising Agency: Specsavers Creative, London, UK
Tim Bullock directed this amusing story about a gathering of senior citizens for a game of Bingo that instead get a surprise workout when they are told to “Shake what your mother gave ya!”
The soundtrack features Redfoo and SkyBlu’s Grammy-nominated tune, ‘Sexy and I Know It’.
7. Specsavers, Detective Cut
Advertising Agency: Specsavers Creative, London, UK
Specsavers sponsored this Channel 4 identity programme commercial directed by Ben Whitehouse, about a myopic actor trying to convince a film director that he is capable of playing the role of an astute detective, in spite of evidence to the contrary.
8. Specsavers, Cheese Sandwich
Advertising Agency: Specsavers Creative, London, UK
Directed by Mike Bigelow from Los Angeles, USA, the commercial was filmed on location at Blackpool Pleasure Beach, Lancashire, England.
The story stars actors Hugh Futchor, and Patricia England, both in their 70’s on an unexpected adventure involving the famed ‘Infusion Rollercoaster’ that in its entirety, is uniquely suspended over water.
9. Specsavers, Teddy In Space
Advertising Agency: Specsavers Creative, London, UK
Directed by Simon Rattican, ‘Teddy in Space’ is an amusing collection of filmic takes on how children lose their glasses.
The soundtrack features the 1979 tune titled, ‘The Little Dancer’ by The Cults Percussion Ensemble, comprising 11 girls with an average age of 14 from the Cults area of Aberdeen, Scotland.
The ensemble included a young Dame Evelyn Glennie, in her first ever recording, who despite being profoundly deaf, went on to become one of the world’s leading percussionists.
10. Specsavers, Cat With No Pulse
Advertising Agency: Specsavers Creative, London, UK
Tim Bullock’s comedic direction skills come to the fore again in this amusing Specsavers commercial.
A vet calls his assistant Karen for help when he can’t find any signs of life in Phoebe the cat. The amusing cause of the problem, revealed in the tale’s ending, makes for rewarding viewing.