CHANNEL 4 SHOWS HOW PUTTING ACCESSIBILITY FIRST BENEFITS BOTH CUSTOMERS AND COMMERCIAL WITH CURRYS’ - ScreenVoice.cz

Context

Channel 4’s Diversity in Advertising Award 2025 set its brief under the theme “Inclusive by Design”. It asked brands to embed inclusive practices into the creative, rather than at the end of production. The initiative linked that ambition to airtime: £1m of advertising space across Channel 4’s portfolio sat behind the winning campaign. The brief framed the size of the audience affected by sight or hearing loss at nearly 20% of the UK population, putting an access gap into plain planning terms.

Currys’ response, “Sigh of Relief”, turned accessibility into the creative narrative.

The story is built around everyday moments instore, where customers often need information quickly and clearly to build confidence in their purchasing decisions. In that setting, a missed cue can range from not hearing a staff member, to not catching a detail on screen, or not being able to follow a fast exchange. The creative idea leans into the feeling of relief when needs are understood without friction and without the customer having to re-explain themselves.

The accessible-first decision also creates a constraint that TV craft has to solve in real time. A retail spot needs to carry product meaning, brand tone, and a clean ending within a short runtime. “Sigh of Relief” keeps the ad readable by treating audio description and British Sign Language as elements that belong within the storytelling, rather than as separate layers competing for attention. In the wider award story, the campaign also marked a first: a DIA winning campaign later extended into cinema distribution.

Campaign objectives

Currys’ core objective was practical: develop a singular advert that people with sight or hearing loss could fully experience. The creative process prepared the craft ingredients (audio description, clear dialogue and strong visual-led storytelling) so the message did not depend on a single channel of information. The work also needed to stay true to Currys’ established tone of voice and humour; accessibility sat inside the brand voice rather than replacing with a different style of communication.

The campaign also carried commercial expectations. KPI’s set combined reach and effectiveness: reach an underserved audience, keep accessibility features inside the core idea, extend total reach across platforms, and show evidence of brand impact, sales performance and ROI. In other words, accessibility and effectiveness were treated as linked outcomes inside the same TV execution.

Creative minds

AMV BBDO led the work end-to-end, from initial Diversity in Advertising Award pitch to final execution.

Channel 4 took an active role in development and distribution. Teams worked closely with Currys and AMV BBDO during development, with day-to-day guidance focused on ensuring accessibility was meaningfully embedded, whilst staying consistent with the brand. Launch support went beyond airtime: Channel 4 amplified the campaign through consumer, trade press and social channels in coordination with communication teams from across the channel, hosting a launch screening with a panel Q&A at Channel 4’s cinema with press in attendance.

Campaign video

Three customers shop in a Currys store for tech with each reaching the same “sigh of relief” when their accessibility requirements are understood. British Sign Language and audio description sit inside the film’s storytelling rather than appearing as separate add-ons.

Results

The campaign’s headline commercial outcome was a 23:1 sales return on investment, described as Currys’ highest-ever sales ROI.

That performance was followed by further paid activity beyond the award-funded launch wave. The campaign returned for a second wave across TV and streaming, with extensions across social and cinema, becoming the first DIA winner to expand into cinema placements.

The accessible-first format remained intact as the activity expanded, with the ad continuing to run fully audio described and with BSL integrated into the creative.

Alongside the paid media story, the case positions “Sigh of Relief” as Currys’ strongest sales return to date and its most successful sales-driving campaign, demonstrating the clear commercial impact of inclusivity.

Source: egta.com