Representation matters; it helps normalize hearing loss, reduce stigma, and showcase the many ways people thrive with hearing technology. By highlighting authentic stories and diverse experiences, the community becomes stronger, more inclusive, and more empowering.
With this mission in mind, Phonak has brought together the reach and diversity of our brand ambassadors. They’re athletes, musicians, philanthropists, and changemakers. For the first time, rather than spotlighting them individually, our ambassadors are inviting each other to experience a day in their lives. These exchanges are designed to create genuine friendships and meaningful connections. World Cup skier Robin Gillon kicked off the relay in Park City, joined by Olympic sprint kayaker Aaron Small for a powerful two-day experience. Both Robin and Aaron have hearing loss. By sharing their stories and experiences, our ambassadors prove that passion and perseverance can overcome any obstacle.
When stories resonate, they create lasting memories. These memories strengthen our community, inspire others, and maintain a powerful impression beyond the hearing loss space. The Hear My Life project celebrates the unique and remarkable lives of our ambassadors, while honoring the shared experience of hearing loss that connects them.
Together, these stories remind us that no one is alone. Shared experiences serve as a catalyst for mutual support, sparking conversations, advocacy, and collective efforts to break down stigmas. By coming together, people with hearing loss can draw strength from one another to live more fully, confidently, and successfully.
The Hear My Life journey began with one of our ambassadors recommending an event or occasion where some or all the ambassadors had the opportunity to meet in person. In the past, the majority of ambassador collaborations were held virtually or on social media. We also realized that although the ambassadors were diverse in backgrounds, professions, and their hearing loss journeys, what connected them was their own experiences of peer victimization, loneliness, lack of confidence, dejection, and lack of community and support, especially during their adolescence. There is also a lack of representation of successful, high-achieving, and aspirational role models for children with hearing loss. Many of our ambassadors, who are professional and elite athletes, as well as well-known musicians and performers, shared with us that they did not have role models (individuals with hearing loss) in the public eye when they were growing up. With all of this in mind, the concept and mission of Hear My Life was born.
Inspired by the phrase “a day in the life", Hear My Life illustrates a typical day in one of our ambassadors' lives, detailing their routine activities and experiences throughout a single day. Each ambassador takes turns hosting and inviting a fellow ambassador to spend the day with them in their home city, all captured on video. Throughout the day, the two ambassadors share their respective experiences from childhood to the present, and how they are pushing the limits to achieve their dreams. Beyond raising awareness for the brand and its products, Phonak ambassadors play a key role as champions for hearing health – actively advocating the importance of hearing health, educating people about living with hearing loss, and dispelling the stigmas surrounding individuals with hearing loss.
Challenge 1: Both Robin Gillon and Aaron Small continue to be active in their sports, so between competitions and a rigid travel schedule, coordinating the schedules and bringing our first set of ambassadors together in Park City was a challenge. Additionally, although Aaron is an elite athlete on the water, his skiing ability was, of course, not on the same level as Robin’s. We wanted Aaron to have an authentic experience and truly understand what it feels like to have hearing loss as a professional World Cup-level skier; however, we had to be mindful and careful of Aaron’s physical well-being. We also filmed the campaign in February in the backcountry terrain of the Utah Mountains. Again, we had to be careful and prioritize our ambassadors’ well-being as well as the Phonak and Ward 1 Studios’ crews.
Challenge 2: Phonak’s priority is to always convey and demonstrate a message of authenticity, respect, support, and empathy. For every campaign, event, activation, or marketing efforts that involve our ambassadors, we must ensure that the hearing loss community and culture are represented with accuracy, truthfulness, and legitimacy, and that the Hard-of-Hearing community is represented with diversity, encompassing a wide range of experiences and identities.
Phonak is a global leader in hearing care solutions, committed to improving the quality of life for people with hearing loss through meaningful innovation. With Hear My Life, our goal was to break stigma by normalizing conversations about hearing loss, educating the public, encouraging open sharing of personal experiences, and advocating for more inclusive environments. At its heart, the campaign emphasized that communication is the key to connection, and that every individual deserves equal access to it.
The results went far beyond our expectations. This series achieved our highest-performing video content to date, with over 1.2M views on Instagram, 70K on Facebook, and 61K on YouTube. Altogether, Hear My Life generated more than 4.5M impressions and views, while also growing our LinkedIn community by 2,000 new followers. These outcomes far surpassed our average engagement benchmarks, proving the campaign resonated deeply with both the hearing loss community and new audiences.
Most importantly, the impact reached beyond numbers. By sharing authentic stories through our ambassadors, we touched millions of individuals, creating greater visibility, education, and representation. This exposure helps dismantle stigma and shows the world that people with hearing loss can - and do - achieve extraordinary things. Beyond the measurable success, our ambassadors built lasting connections with each other through shared experience, reinforcing the message of strength in community.
We consider this campaign a success because it not only exceeded engagement goals but also made tangible progress toward our larger mission of advocacy, inclusion, and social change.
