Birds

Created by HearLife Clinic and FP7/McCann in Dubai, “Lost Frequency” is a series of self-diagnosing radio adverts for hearing loss. With 500,000 people affected with hearing loss in the UAE, the challenge for HearLife was to get the 35% of sufferers unaware they have a problem, to take a hearing test. The early symptoms of hearing loss are difficulties hearing high frequency and low sounds, often only discovered in an audiology exam. In the examination, ranges of sounds tested patients hearing: those unable to hear above 4kHz+ are diagnosed with hearing loss. To make the test something everyone would want to listen to, the team took the science of a hearing test and disguised it as wildlife documentary. Because birds, crickets and dolphins all naturally sing in the 4kHz+, they could use these animals to help self-diagnose hearing loss. In a series of 3 radios, take a quick dive with dolphins, listen to the birds, and join thousands of crickets on a summer’s night. For the first time, those who didn’t know they had a problem were self-diagnosed and offered a solution. Audio advertisement created by FP7, United Arab Emirates for HearLife Clinic, within the category: Health.