Boots Hearingcare 'Do it for them' - inside the PR campaign

Let's face it: hearing aids are not the easiest 'sell' for a PR team, but at Twelve, they knew they were onto something when a deep dive research project for Boots Hearingcare in 2024 began a wave of behaviour-changing messaging, resulting in the most recent campaign aimed at a hard-to-reach audience: 'Do it for them'. 

The stigma around hearing loss is prevalent, and around three million people have untreated hearing loss. Research shows it takes, on average, 10 years for people to get tested from when they notice they have a hearing loss and wait 10 years before going for a hearing test, during which time they may struggle with day-to-day interactions. On the one hand, 'Didn't you hear the door when I knocked?' and on the other, struggling to keep up with conversations, gradually withdrawing from interactions with family and friends. It was this that the team at Twelve made their focus.

Finding a transformational touchpoint

Twelve have worked with Boots Hearingcare for the past two and half years and, in 2024, commissioned a deep dive research project into attitudes around hearing impairment, which has proved invaluable. Lisa Russell, account director at Twelve, says: "We learned so much about the embarrassment and even shame or guilt people with hearing problems may have – and it has informed so much of what has come next in terms of the campaign concepts.

"We heard from people about why they hadn't acted sooner or how long it had taken them to go for a hearing test. What their experience was like living with untreated hearing loss, and how can transformative hearing aids improve their lives. It is the stigma surrounding hearing loss and the lengths people go to, to cover it up that has been the biggest eye opener. It made the Twelve and Boots Hearingcare teams passionate about trying to move the needle and shift perceptions around this".

After the research landed, Twelve mobilised the enthusiasm of the happy customers in what Russell describes as a personal 'career highlight', bringing together a group of Boots Hearingcare customers for a fashion show. A real-life event, in a life-affirming experience, to celebrate the transformation in these customers' lives as a result of using hearing aids – what could be better?

"Many of these people lived in an isolated and withdrawn place, and since taking action and regaining their hearing, they feel their lives have completely turned around. They've started a WhatsApp community, celebrating all they're now able to do as a result of the vast improvements in their hearing. It's fantastic!"
The research also gave Twelve a rich seam of oft-requested case studies to draw on, which continue to be available to the press and are constantly built upon as the satisfied customers roll in.

'Do it for them' – the gamechanger

The following campaign phase drilled down into finding ways to demonstrate how improved hearing can strengthen connections with family and friends. In December 2024, Boots Hearingcare ran an ad (created by VML) using the strapline: 'If you won't do it for you, do it for them'.

Twelve took 'Do it for Them' and ran with it – the key driver was to encourage people to think about their relationships and the impact improved hearing might make with day-to-day communication. The challenge was to bring to life the campaign using a high-profile 'name'—someone with hearing loss who hadn't spoken about it before. It's not easy, especially in light of research revealing how embarrassment can be a significant factor for many people – talking about something so personal in public was a big ask.

Russell explains how they landed on a dynamic which brought the message to life: "When you think about the campaign message 'Do it for them' – it's clear we could be talking about family members, probably with an older family member struggling with their hearing, and so we looked at parent/child people in the public eye."

It transpired that TV presenter Mark Wright's dad (also called Mark – referred to as ‘Mark Snr' for the campaign) had been struggling with his hearing for some time, and he was willing to go for his first-ever hearing test at Boots Hearingcare.

After confirming that he has impaired hearing, he was fitted with a set of Phonak Infinio hearing aids and in one of those 'gold dust' moments, Mark Snr declared that his wife Carol sounded 'just like she did when we met'. Mark Snr could also hear his own voice clearly for the first time in years. 'It was a really heartwarming moment,’ added Russell.

Twelve made a short film with both Marks chatting about Mark Snr's hearing loss [watch below] and the film was used on both Mark's and Boots' social channels.

Campaign challenges

The campaign wasn't without its challenges; the launch was scheduled for March, with World Hearing Day (3 March) as the news hook. However, in February, Mark and his wife, actress Michelle Keegan, were burgled while they were at home in Essex. To make matters worse, Michelle was eight months pregnant at the time of the burglary, and of course, all of this had to be handled delicately by Twelve.

Suddenly, the burglary and the baby became the story everyone wanted, and by necessity (and quite rightly), making Boots Hearingcare a secondary story. Happily, Mark and Michelle have since become parents (and Snr Mark a grandad for the fourth time).

However, workarounds were found, and the campaign has been a success. In under a month, both Marks' social media presence leveraged their 2+ million followers.

Their Instagram posts generated 494,000 views, 3709 likes, and 71 comments. 'Do it for them' has also secured 11 media placements, including the Sun, Daily Mirror, and consumer magazines Heat, OK!, and Closer. Online coverage from Manchester Evening News and MSN contributed to opportunities to see [OTS] of over 6.8 million.

Russell is delighted at the results so far, and, at the time of writing, opportunities for more coverage are ongoing. 

She says, "As an agency, Twelve specialises in health and wellbeing, and we have ‘change for good’ as an in-house motto, a seam that runs through all we do. What I love about this campaign and all of the work that we do for Boots Hearingcare is that it really is making a difference to people’s lives. 

“Seeing how other people have transformed their lives from being fitted with hearing aids could be all it takes for someone who might have struggled for years to take that first step. That's incredibly satisfying – driving positive behavioural change? We couldn't ask for more."

Ally Oliver is an award-winning journalist and editor with over 20 years' experience working in magazines, newspapers and online.

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