The new Vision Express campaign separates itself from the competition with an ad that depicts spectacle wearers as active go-getters.

Vision Express

The fast-paced advert, produced by agency Dare, shows a diverse range of people wearing glasses while doing a combination of everyday and more adventurous activities including dancing in a club, playing pool, snowboarding and kayaking.

The ad also includes a cameo from celebrity chef and Vision Express brand ambassador Heston Blumenthal, who is seen drinking a cup of tea.

The ad uses head-mounted cameras for each person that keep the face and the glasses in the centre of frame at all times, despite the camera moving according to the activity they are taking part in.

The campaign is markedly different from the standard optical retailer ads, which often show bespectacled people humorously ending up as the butt of jokes, such as Nasa astronauts with poor eyesight accidentally landing at Luton Airport instead of Houston.

Here people wearing glasses are refreshingly recast as active and energetic, which should appeal more to potential customers than the bungling ‘Mr Magoo’ archetype seen in the ads of some retailers.

The campaign might have better showcased more specific designers and exclusive frames that Vision Express sells by dedicating more screen time to fewer products.

However, the frenetic ad’s quick cuts, showcasing an eclectic variety of people, quickly and effectively promote the breadth of Vision Express’s range of specs. This point is summed up with the strapline: ‘Vision Express, over 100 designer and exclusive brands’.

Vision Express, Head Shots