Hearing loss impacts about 5% of the global population according to the World Health Organisation, or 360 million people, and Southeast Asia is one of the hardest-hit regions, home to more than 109 million elderly people living with the condition. In Indonesia, a Muslim-majority country where hijab is worn by more than three-quarters of women, hearing loss is exaggerated because conventional hearing aids sit behind or inside the ear—exactly where the headgear wraps.
For the roughly one in three Indonesian women over 50 who experience partial hearing loss, this design flaw raises the risk of falls and accidents by up to 60%. Beauty giant Wardah, Dentsu Indonesia, and tech firm Digital Nativ set out to fix that.
An elegant clam-shaped microphone, designed to double as a brooch, sits outside the hijab to capture unobstructed sound. That audio is wirelessly transmitted to a discreet receiver worn near the ear and it enables the user to hear clearly without compromising comfort, modesty or mobility. At just 12 grams, the device is lightweight, adjustable and compatible with most hijab fabrics.
The need for a hearing aid like Hear in Hijab is significant. Indonesia's National Health Survey says that four in every 100 Indonesians use hearing aids, and more than 5 million Indonesians live with some degree of hearing loss. Up until now, this population has been underserved by the global hearing aid industry's one-size-fits-all design logic.
"Indonesia is a market with layered lives, deep faith, and needs that resist easy generalisation. The women of this country, in particular, have always deserved brands willing to meet that complexity honestly and be responsible to the women who make this country what it is, " said Defri Dwipaputra, chief creative & experience officer, Dentsu Creative Indonesia.
"The hijab is an expression of faith and identity, bound up with confidence, in hearing the people they love clearly, in feeling present and capable," added Khikin Indahsari, group head of new brand innovation at Paragon Technology and Innovation.
The initiative is in early rollout and has been trialled by selected users, with a second phase now underway. Early results point to a 50% reduction in fall risk, 4.07 million in reach, and engagement running ten times above benchmark
Campaign's take: Hear in Hijab doesn't dress purpose-led marketing in social intent or hollow press cycles. It's innovation that is design-led, or rather design-first and that distinction is visible because good design is always about people; truly inclusive design requires knowing which people have been left out of the room—and in the global hearing aid industry, hijab-wearing women simply were. The numbers will follow if the device reaches women who need it. And if it does, that's not a campaign win or an award haul. That's a woman hearing her daughter's voice clearly for the first time in years
Credits
Defri Dwipaputra, Chief Creative & Experience Officer, Dentsu Creative Indonesia
Albertus Arya Saloka,
Associate Creative Director, Dentsu Creative Indonesia
Shintya Hadiyani, Creative Group Head, Dentsu Creative
Indonesia
Luthfi Putradi, Senior Art Director, Dentsu Creative Indonesia
Bunga Lestari, Art Director, Dentsu
Creative Indonesia
Aulia Fianda, Junior Art Director, Dentsu Creative Indonesia
Esteriani Putri, Copywriter,
Dentsu Creative Indonesia
Sharah Chumayroh, Copywriter, Dentsu Creative Indonesia
Icha Caresya, Account
Director, Dentsu Creative Indonesia
Iqbal Maulana, Account Manager, Dentsu Creative Indonesia
Jonea Christie,
Account Executive, Dentsu Creative Indonesia
Rindia Florita, Associate Project Director, Dentsu Creative Indonesia
Source: Campaign Asia-Pacific