When we think of “innovative technologies” you think of 3D printers, drones, metaverse, maybe even holograms. Hear Gear is anything but.

It contains no space-age polymers in fact it contains no digital technologies whatsoever. Just pure and simple design that solves one of the biggest problems plaguing hearing-Impaired athletes playing sport.

Colgate created a simplistically effective innovation that improved access to sound by over 90%, not only for deaf AFL players but for thousands of Australians that are hard of hearing whose only barrier to picking up a the sport was being able to communicate with a team.

AFL (Australia-rules Football) Is the NFL of Australia. It’s our biggest and most beloved sport. Colgate is the official sponsor of the league and activates it through the brand platform ‘Smile Strong.’ An organising idea that’s all about overcoming adversity to become the best possible version of yourself.

While working with Jamie Howell a Colgate sponsored Deaf AFL player, we realized while she wears a Cochlear implant she couldn’t hear anything while playing on the field. The industry standard headgear she wears for protection muffles any sound waves that her implant receives. As a result, Jamie was at a major disadvantage, having to learn to communicate with her team solely on eye contact and signals. Our solution was to come up with a new technology that would enable Jamie to hear while playing, but also ensure other Deaf and Hard Of Hearing athletes who wear protective headgear could benefit.

AFL (Australian-Rules football) is by far the nation's most popular sporting code. Both by viewership and registered players. But 1 in 6 Aussies suffer from hearing loss meaning they miss out from participating in team sports like AFL.

A sport where communication is key. Jamie is currently the only professional female athlete currently in the league and that’s made possible through the efforts of her team who specifically design their gameplay and strategy to accommodate her. Hear Gear doesn’t just enable Deaf and Hard of Hearing athletes to hear and communicate on the field, it creates a more inclusive, even playing field to enable thousands of Aussies hopefuls who have dreamt of playing the game they and the country loves at any level of involvement.

Colgate partnered with Steeden to develop 'Hear Gear', a ground-breaking protective headgear designed and equipped with specialised technology to assist Deaf and Hard of Hearing Australian rules football players with hearing implants on the field. Hear Gear uses a new mould, with contoured padding that protects, accommodates and channels sound to the hearing implant. The lines on Hear Gear represent the sound of the AFL field that the wearer now has the means to hear.

We launched Hear Gear with a TVC which trafficked to a microsite that encouraged our audience to register to receive one of the units available. The media plan was targeted specifically around our AFL audience and was accompanied by a highly effective editorial and PR campaign that saw Colgate Hear Gear appearing in national news and publications.

10 August 2022 - First industrial design concept meeting

18th August 2022 - Interviews with prototype subjects

5th September 2022 - 3D renders made to plot out cochlear positions

4th October 2022 - First prototype

12th October 2022 - Industrial design review

13th November 2022 - Graphics approval

15th February 2023 - Second prototype

24th February 2023 - Live testing with prototype subjects

4th March 2023 - Prototype adjustments and approval from subjects

22nd March 2023 - Production run commenced and Expressions of Interest launched

24th April 2023 - First Hear Gear allocation exhausted

5th August 2023 - Second round production commenced

Colgate and the agency partnered with Steeden to develop 'Hear Gear', a ground-breaking protective headgear designed to safely house and amplify hearing implants for athletes playing content sport. We had to ensure that Hear Gear would work with a variety of hearing implants and the unique placement on the exterior of the skull. The recess is designed with a combination of low and high density acoustic materials to not only accommodate and protect the implant comfortably but provide enough room, channel sound from the outside world, and uses a mixture of high and low density foams to channel sound directly into the microphone of the implant. The design of Hear Gear is mirrored so that left/right or multiple implants access sound within the space. Unlike traditional headgear that is historically black or white, Hear Gear is entirely red, featuring unique branding motifs with a distinctive sound wave design which subtly turns everyone who wears one into mini-brand ambassadors on the AFL field.

Hear Gear has already kicked goals. The campaign contributed to a positive shift in Colgate brand perceptions, including a 10% lift for being inspiring. We also saw a 17% lift in the perception that Colgate does the right thing by the community. Just as there’s been a positive shift in brand perception, we’re made a positive impact in the Deaf Community.

Colgate fully funded the first production run of Hear Gear, and we have allocated all units available. During on field testing with Jamie Howell, Hear Gear not only protected her implant from impact but also improved sound clarity by 90% enabling verbal communication on the field.

Hear Gear is currently designed for use in the AFL and NRL but we have extended the campaigns lifespan to capture additional interest and extend the capabilities of Hear Gear outside of sport.