International optical retailer Specsavers will launch its first TV campaign in Australia this month, after appointing The Foundry late last year to manage strategic development of the company’s TV campaign.

Specsavers is the third largest eye-care retailer in the world with an annual turnover of over $A2.1 billion. Australia represents a key strategic opportunity for Specsavers as the market is currently dominated by OPSM and other brands owned by Italian company Luxottica.

Specsavers’ everyday offering of two pairs of glasses for one low price is revolutionary because it applies to all frames, including designer labels and all lenses, and is expected to change the way Australians purchase their glasses. [Ed – why do PR people insist on using words like revolutionary to describe a promotional offer for glasses? Let’s get some perspective people.]

Australians currently change their glasses every three years compared with every two years in the rest of the world.

Specsavers will transform the Australian market by putting the focus back onto eye care and enabling everyone to afford more than one style of frames. Customers will now be able to own different glasses to suit different looks, moods or occasions, said Simon Burrett, managing partner at The Foundry

Recognized as an expert in retail brand strategy, Simon Burrett has developed campaign strategies for clients including ALDI, Snooze and Barbeques Galore.

Specsavers is a serious global brand with serious ambitions. They are an impressive professional operation and they certainly need to be, as they are in the middle of easily one of the biggest retail brand launches ever undertaken in Australia, said Mr. Burrett.

Associate Creative Director Annie Price recognised the importance of getting the brand story right in the television executions.

Specsavers’s price offer will speak for itself. Our key creative challenge was to clearly position the brand as a major player with serious fashion credentials, said Ms Price.

The launch campaign features three TVCs, entitled ‘Work & Play,’ ‘Kids’ and ‘Moving Out’.

Each ad demonstrates that Specsavers enable customers to select different glasses for different looks, moods or occasions.

The campaign launches nationally in late June.