Made by Ogilvy, 'They’re Boots, Darling' is a stylish glasses advert that borrows the aesthetics and glamour of luxury fashion, while adding some tongue-in-cheek touches. The ad, which showcases Boots’ own-brand and designer specs, is credited to fictional director Vincento Calamari and includes everything from feathers and horses to hairless cats.

In the ad, glamorous, well-dressed people of all ages wear glasses and attend an opulent party. They do ‘interesting’ things typically seen in high-end fashion ads, like sitting on a horse backwards or holding a single balloon. At the end of the spot, one of the partygoers lets viewers in on the reveal: this isn’t a luxury advert. “They’re Boots, darling. These are only forty quid,” she says to the camera.

The eyewear sector is expected to be worth $182 billion USD in 2023, rising from $117 billion in 2017, partly thanks to glasses losing their ‘geeky’ association and becoming a purchase that lets people express their sense of style and identity, and add a touch of luxury. 'They’re Boots, Darling' acknowledges this behaviour while also showing that eyewear can be stylish at a lower price-point. “We wanted to show the world that we’re not only experts in eyecare but experts when it comes to style too,” says Madeline Shaw, head of marketing for Boots Opticians.

By borrowing luxury tropes, but simultaneously parodying them, Boots is able to play on the glamour of fashionable eyewear without losing its own approachable, high street identity.

Katy Young is a behavioural analyst at Canvas8, which specialises in behavioural insights and consumer research. She has a degree in American Studies and Film, and a Master’s in Journalism. Her interests include wild swimming, thinking of podcast ideas, and singing in an all-female choir.