“Should’ve Gone to Specsavers”: How a Simple Slogan Took Over the UK

Few UK ad campaigns have achieved true cultural status. Specsavers did it with just four words: “Should’ve gone to Specsavers.” What started as a simple tagline became a national catchphrase, used by everyone from TV presenters to football commentators.

The Background

Specsavers launched in 1984 as a challenger brand, competing against big-name opticians like Boots. By the early 2000s, they needed a distinctive, memorable way to stand out.

Enter the campaign: clever, humorous ads showing everyday blunders caused by poor eyesight with the punchline “Should’ve gone to Specsavers.”

The Strategy

  1. Humour as a Hook: Instead of being clinical or boring, Specsavers made vision care funny.

  2. Repetition & Consistency: The slogan has barely changed in over 20 years.

  3. Cultural Integration: The phrase slipped into everyday language; people say it even when glasses aren’t involved.

Famous Examples

  • A farmer shearing his sheepdog instead of a sheep.

  • A lifeguard watching the wrong swimmer drown in a comedy sketch.

  • Even UK newspapers and politicians use the phrase as shorthand for “obvious mistake.”

Why It Worked

  • Memorability: Four words anyone can recall.

  • Relatability: We’ve all had moments of “not seeing clearly.”

  • Brand = Slogan: Specsavers is the catchphrase.

The Results

  • Specsavers became the UK’s #1 optician, dominating market share.

  • The campaign ran for decades, proving consistency beats constant reinvention.

  • “Should’ve gone to Specsavers” is now as iconic in the UK as “Just Do It” is globally.

The Takeaway

Sometimes the smartest marketing isn’t fancy. It’s a simple, sticky idea, repeated relentlessly, until the brand and the slogan are inseparable.

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