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
OTHER CASE STUDIES
GLOBO CREATES HOME SCREEN PROMINENCE FOR FREE-TO-AIR TV ON SMART TVS
26. 2. 2026Globo, Brazil’s largest commercial TV group, is rolling out DTV+, a next-generation free-to-air TV standard designed for connected TVs. It brings broadcast channels into the TV operating system, with app-like navigation, login and interactive layers placed directly on top of live programming. The move fits Brazil’s viewing reality. Linear TV accounts for 57.9% of total… Continue reading CHANNEL 4 SHOWS HOW PUTTING ACCESSIBILITY FIRST BENEFITS BOTH CUSTOMERS AND COMMERCIAL WITH CURRYS’
THE VISUAL TRANSFER EFFECT: HOW SOUND BUILDS BRANDS
24. 2. 2026In collaboration with neuro-marketing agency Unravel, Talpa Media has produced the scientific proof that audio does not just complement TV. It actively reactivates it, reconstructing visual brand memories in the consumer’s mind through sound. The findings carry significant implications for how audio is planned, sold, and valued within the wider media mix. Context Talpa Media… Continue reading CHANNEL 4 SHOWS HOW PUTTING ACCESSIBILITY FIRST BENEFITS BOTH CUSTOMERS AND COMMERCIAL WITH CURRYS’
RMB TURNS QR CODE VOTING INTO A SHARED VIEWING MOMENT THAT STRENGTHS BRAND IMAGE FOR SPRITE AND DELI CHOC
24. 2. 2026Campaign objectives The chocolate snack Deli Choc and soft drink Sprite brands worked with RMB to reach younger audiences by becoming part of Belgian hip-hop show “PLAYGROUND”, supporting new rap talent through a live QR vote and cross-platform content. This helps the brands appear as enablers of the format rather than separate ads. For RMB… Continue reading CHANNEL 4 SHOWS HOW PUTTING ACCESSIBILITY FIRST BENEFITS BOTH CUSTOMERS AND COMMERCIAL WITH CURRYS’
CANADIAN SUPERSTAR ANDREW PHUNG HELPS VIA RAIL CHALLENGE CAR CONVENIENCE ASSUMPTIONS WITH LONG-FORM STORYTELLING ACROSS CBC’S TV ECOSYSTEM
24. 2. 2026Campaign objectives VIA Rail, the company operating Canada’s national passenger rail service, combined a new product launch with brand building, using long-form content to tackle misconceptions that tend to block conversion in travel: comfort, ease, and whether rail feels like a realistic alternative to driving for intercity trips. The objectives behind this campaign were to… Continue reading CHANNEL 4 SHOWS HOW PUTTING ACCESSIBILITY FIRST BENEFITS BOTH CUSTOMERS AND COMMERCIAL WITH CURRYS’
HOW L’ORÉAL PARIS AND RTL MADE STREET HARASSMENT HARD TO IGNORE
24. 2. 2026Context Sexual harassment in public spaces is one of the most common forms of gender-based violence in the world. Two figures frame the issue: 80% of women have experienced street harassment, but 85% of people say they lack training on how to intervene. Ad Alliance and L’Oréal created a campaign to respond to this problem… Continue reading CHANNEL 4 SHOWS HOW PUTTING ACCESSIBILITY FIRST BENEFITS BOTH CUSTOMERS AND COMMERCIAL WITH CURRYS’
HOW AD ALLIANCE USED VIRTUAL SET GRAPHICS TO RESKIN THE LET’S DANCE STAGE FOR UNIVERSAL PICTURES
24. 2. 2026Context This campaign promotes a film by changing the look of a well-known TV studio during the ad break, so the show setting becomes part of the idea. Universal Pictures International Germany supported the live-action version (made with real actors) of How to Train Your Dragon, based on a well-known animated franchise. The ad special… Continue reading CHANNEL 4 SHOWS HOW PUTTING ACCESSIBILITY FIRST BENEFITS BOTH CUSTOMERS AND COMMERCIAL WITH CURRYS’
CHANNEL 4 SHOWS HOW PUTTING ACCESSIBILITY FIRST BENEFITS BOTH CUSTOMERS AND COMMERCIAL WITH CURRYS’
24. 2. 2026Context 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… Continue reading CHANNEL 4 SHOWS HOW PUTTING ACCESSIBILITY FIRST BENEFITS BOTH CUSTOMERS AND COMMERCIAL WITH CURRYS’
HOW BMW USED A COUNTDOWN TO HOLD ATTENTION FOR TWO MINUTES
24. 2. 2026The iX3 launch in Belgium used prime time to make a first impression quickly. The plan did not rely on many repeated 30-second ads. Instead, it opened with a two-minute film that ran without interruption. In this campaign, this timeframe was used as a clear countdown linked to the car’s driving range. The number on… Continue reading CHANNEL 4 SHOWS HOW PUTTING ACCESSIBILITY FIRST BENEFITS BOTH CUSTOMERS AND COMMERCIAL WITH CURRYS’
TURNING PEAK TV SHOW ATTENTION INTO TRUSTED CONTEXTUAL SPOTS AND FAN FOLLOW UP CONTENT
24. 2. 2026Context A plot cue inside a flagship soap can set the terms of the next ad break, because viewers stay anchored in the same scene and characters. Emmerdale’s familiarity, plus its own show social channels, gave the message a recognisable voice on TV and somewhere to continue after broadcast. In this case, the ITV campaign… Continue reading CHANNEL 4 SHOWS HOW PUTTING ACCESSIBILITY FIRST BENEFITS BOTH CUSTOMERS AND COMMERCIAL WITH CURRYS’
USING ELECTION NIGHT VIEWING HABITS TO MAKE A RETAIL MESSAGE FEEL LIKE ENTERTAINMENT
24. 2. 2026This campaign connected Bauhaus’s retail messaging to a major national television event. In Finland, municipal and regional elections feature hours-long results TV programmes that track vote counting as results come in. Bauhaus (a major home improvement retailer) partnered with the biggest national broadcaster, Sanoma, to create branded entertainment within this format, using “price” as the… Continue reading CHANNEL 4 SHOWS HOW PUTTING ACCESSIBILITY FIRST BENEFITS BOTH CUSTOMERS AND COMMERCIAL WITH CURRYS’
WHEN DISNEY CAME TO DANCING: A LIVE SHOW BECOMES A FAIRYTALE
24. 2. 2026Inspired by Disneyland Paris’s Disney Music Festival, where performances by Disney-movie characters fill the park with dance and live music, DPG Media’s creative team proactively conceived an unprecedented brand integration: a dedicated Disney-themed episode of Dancing With The Stars. The concept was not driven by a client brief. Knowing the client’s wishes and dreams, and… Continue reading CHANNEL 4 SHOWS HOW PUTTING ACCESSIBILITY FIRST BENEFITS BOTH CUSTOMERS AND COMMERCIAL WITH CURRYS’
WHEN A CROSS-FORMAT APPROACH MULTIPLIES IMPACT: BOL × HUIS GEMAAKT ACROSS CONTENT & CONTEXT
23. 2. 2026Description Bol is Belgium’s largest e-commerce platform, a household name for buying books, electronics, and everyday items online. But furniture and home décor? That was not what consumers associated with the brand. DPG Media set out to change this perception through a multi-format partnership with Huis Gemaakt (“Home Made”), a popular Flemish TV show where… Continue reading CHANNEL 4 SHOWS HOW PUTTING ACCESSIBILITY FIRST BENEFITS BOTH CUSTOMERS AND COMMERCIAL WITH CURRYS’