Specsavers promotes its contact lens range to avoid 'Kiss Clash'

I am short-sighted when it comes to the appeal of specs.

I’ve never stereotypically whipped them off and unfurled my ponytail. And, in a revelation that would probably get me thrown out of the APG, I’ve never consistently worn the massive heavy-rimmed glasses that seem mandatory to indicate you’re a planner. In short: I hate my glasses.

I have worn contacts for approximately 22 years and approximately 15 hours of every day of those 22 years, except when the optician asks me and then I say I definitely wear my glasses for parts of every day to give my eyes a rest. Lately, I am trying harder but tbh, my heart just isn’t in it.

And so, as I ambled past Specsavers’ new poster this morning, I loved it. 

‘Kiss Clash’ zooms in on two glasses-wearers about to lock lips and interrupts the moment with ‘Don’t let your specs get in the way’.

There are many reasons why I like this.

Firstly, I can’t say I’ve ever been in a ‘locking-glasses-when-I-meant-to-lock-lips’ scenario. However, I very much could imagine a scene where my already-hated glasses ruined some sort of moment, so it made me smile either way. Incidentally, I’m guessing ‘specs’ sounding like ‘sex’ wasn’t entirely a coincidence either, h/t to the copywriter.

Secondly, it doesn’t have the iconic line ‘Should’ve gone to Specsavers’ but it absolutely infers it and evolves it: You shouldda gone for contact lenses. 

Plus, it continues to make clever use of moments in the way Specsavers has got down to a tee. On top of that, the art direction is a pleasing addition to the regulation green and white brand ads.

Thirdly, it does representation with a lovely lightness of touch. The poster I saw was actually two posters. Same execution, different about-to-kiss-couples, pasted next to each other. I hope there’s an even wider range of representation in the suite of posters to come, which will make this neat campaign all the better.

I wish I was able to carry off glasses full-time, but I’m just not. I’m incredibly grateful glasses exist and know how vital they are for many people, but I just find them annoying. So even though I’m unlikely to be in a glasses-locked clinch anytime soon (my slightly long-sighted husband always forgets to wear his, preferring to try elongating his arms or making me read the menu), this ad made me think about all the other reasons I’m squarely ‘Team Contacts’ and be thankful for solutions to my first world problems.

If you are resolutely ‘Team Glasses’, I hope you don’t feel pressured into changing because of this ad. You don’t have to buy contacts, of course, you still have the option of chicly whipping your glasses off pre-snog (and as an added bonus, not feeling big guilt about the plastic waste). But for those of us that do find glasses almost impossible at the best of times, this is a deftly executed campaign based on a functional insight that sparks many more - and it’s delivered with real heart.