If you’ve ever had your own ‘Should’ve gone to Specsavers’ moment, you could be the star of a national advert for the company.

Twenty years after launching the famous slogan, Specsavers is looking for real-life anecdotes of sight or hearing related mistakes that could be turned into a 30-second social media ad.

The tagline has already lent itself to plenty of humorous and satirical observations. When Boris Johnson’s former adviser Dominic Cummings said he drove to Barnard Castle during lockdown ‘to check his eyesight’, many social media users were quick to comment ‘Should’ve gone to Specsavers’ instead.

Some of the most memorable Should’ve TV adverts have included a short-sighted farmer shearing his dog instead of his sheep, and a vet checking the pulse of a fur hat instead of a cat.

Emma Denham, a director at the Specsavers Exeter store, said: “As we mark 20 years since the first iconic ‘Should’ve gone to Specsavers’ TV advert, we can’t wait to give one lucky person the chance to turn their own Should’ve moment into a fully-fledged ad.

‘This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be part of a campaign that has spanned two decades and is well and truly engrained in British culture, having become part of our everyday vernacular. Football managers use the phrase, it's often quoted in newspapers and it’s even been bought up in Parliament.”

To be in with the chance of having your true story turned in to the first Specsavers ad to be based on a real-life experience, post your ‘Should’ve gone to Specsavers’ moment on Specsavers’ Facebook and Twitter channels using #Specsavers and #ShouldveGoneToSpecsavers.

The competition opened on Friday, June 17 and runs for two weeks, after which a team of industry brand experts will shortlist four entries that epitomise Specsavers’ iconic slogan.

The public will then be asked to choose their favourite submission in an online vote via Specsavers’ social media channels.

The winner will receive an expenses-paid trip for them to star in their own ad. This will include two nights’ accommodation for them and a friend, as well as an eyecare voucher of £169 to spend with Specsavers.