Sigh of Relief

The Story

When Currys set out to create an accessibility-focused campaign, they made a crucial decision: they wouldn't abandon their signature comedic style. Instead, they'd prove that ads about accessibility don't have to be serious or full of pathos.

The campaign shows three customers with accessibility needs shopping for tech, each experiencing that familiar “sigh of relief”, which is exaggerated for comic effect, when a Currys colleague truly understands their requirements. However, the real breakthrough was making the audio-describer and BSL interpreter key characters in the storyline itself — not add-ons, but integral to the storytelling and the comedy.

Behind the scenes, AMV BBDO partnered with Open Inclusion, a global inclusive research agency, to make sure community engagement was built into each stage of the development process. Open Inclusion provided two co-creators with relevant lived experiences of disability for the production, and their insights were invaluable in the development of the creative idea and the authentic portrayal of disabled shoppers. The Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) and the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) were also consulted during the production phase. The work won Channel 4's Diversity in Advertising Award.

How it gets representation right

• Disabled expertise from start to finish: Open Inclusion engaged with the community at multiple stages and the RNIB and RNID provided guidance during the production process, ensuring authentic portrayal, removing assumptions.
• Business transformation before brand claims: Real operational changes at Curry’s — Quiet Hour, an accessibility web-app - were in place before the advertising campaign was developed.
• Accessible by design: Audio description, BSL interpretation and subtitles became central characters driving the story, not afterthoughts.

Why it matters

Currys demonstrated that accessible experiences must extend far beyond the creative work itself. With accessibility and inclusion initiatives already in place within their business, Currys then went on to develop a campaign that felt as accessible as their in-store experience — proving that disabled people are valued customers whose needs drive innovation, not afterthoughts requiring accommodation.