One in six Kiwis struggle with some level of hearing loss, often compounded by barriers such as cost, misconceptions about appearance, and social stigma.

Triton Hearing wanted to shift perceptions and improve access to life-changing devices by offering gift vouchers for hearing tests.

Our objective at Stuff was clear: drive category growth and encourage sales through creative storytelling. The result was The Gift of Hearing campaign.

Changing the audio experience

Central to the campaign was a disruptive audio experience — the Kiwi Sounds of Summer quiz — which simulated the challenges of hearing loss.

Readers encountered familiar sounds of summer intermittently disrupted by muffling, dropped sounds or high-pitched whining, mimicking early signs of impairment. Designed to be disorienting, readers often felt confused and answered incorrectly.

After completion, results showed hearing loss statistics affecting a wide population, not just “old people” and then linked to Triton Hearing vouchers.

A creative first: Stuff shorts

Our quiz was at the heart of the wider content strategy. We predicted it would disrupt and resonate, though the results were far more outstanding than anticipated.

A contributing factor to its success was an innovative promotional approach — interactive video content on a new social video platform, Stuff Shorts, which provided a carousel of portrait-shot videos on Stuff’s homepage.

As the first “Short” to feature audio, it surpassed expectations by 200%.

Full integration

The Gift of Hearing was seamlessly integrated across Stuff’s ecosystem, spanning two sponsored articles, gamified print content, editorial mentions, a hub, and high-impact media placements.

This drove nearly 20,000 clicks to Triton’s site.

Enormous impact

The Gift of Better Hearing was a massive hit, surpassing all expectations.

The disruptive audio quiz saw a remarkable 540% over-delivery, while the two testimonial-based articles over-delivered, and the new-format Stuff Short video performed exceptionally.

Stuff’s community-centric approach resonated deeply, leaving a lasting impact on New Zealanders with hearing loss and their families.

Heartfelt resonance

The plaudits we’ve received for this campaign have been thrilling, but our greatest pride is in striking gold with audiences and delighting advertisers.

With The Gift of Hearing, the results speak for themselves.

Triton Hearing’s Lucy Rei said its community-centric and human-focused approach exceeded the standards of traditional marketing campaigns:

“This was a heartfelt and effective campaign that went above and beyond standard marketing campaigns, and made a positive and long-lasting impact on the lives of New Zealanders with hearing loss and their families.”

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