William Shatner has partnered with Audien Hearing to “Boldly Hear What’s Next.” The alliance makes the “Star Trek” actor the face of a campaign for Audien’s over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids.
The 95-year-old Shatner is best known for playing Captain James T. Kirk in the “Star Trek” franchise. As the captain of the starship Enterprise, Shatner led a team on a mission “to boldly go where no man has gone before.” Now Shatner, a user of Audien’s Atom X hearing aids, brings his star power and personal experience to a marketing campaign.
“I’ve spent a lifetime thinking about the future, and at 95, I still want to know what’s next: the next conversation, the next idea, the next adventure,” Shatner said. “I know firsthand how hearing challenges can affect those moments. That’s why I partnered with Audien. There’s a lot of life left to live, and a lot worth hearing.”
Shatner, an Audien brand ambassador, will appear in a marketing and social media campaign to communicate that “getting older doesn’t mean you’re finished discovering who you can be, where you can go or what you can contribute.” Working with Shatner, Audien will pitch better hearing as helping people join lively dinner conversations and share quiet moments with people they love.
The campaign could encourage people to look into hearing aids at a time when the barriers to buying the devices are lower than ever. In 2022, the FDA finalized a rule allowing OTC sales of some hearing aids. The liberalization of the rules led companies, including Jabra and Sony, to launch hearing aids. Later, Apple and Samsung Electronics added hearing aid features to their earphones.
Yet, while access to hearing aids has improved, the available data suggest the market is growing slowly. Demant, a publicly traded hearing aid provider, reported in August that unit volumes in the U.S. were flat or up 1% in the second quarter, depending on the channel. The figures partly reflect a tough comparison to the second quarter of 2025. Globally, Demant estimates the market value will grow 3% to 4% this year.