RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif.—Early next month, Vision Service Plan (VSP) will kick off the initial ad campaign, including the company’s first-ever television commercials, for its Signature Choice direct-to-consumer vision program.

According to Rob Lynch, VSP’s chief executive officer, VSP has already signed up more than 5,000 consumers for individual vision-care programs in the past five months, with no marketing other than Web-site referrals. Once the marketing campaign begins in early October, “we hope to see a significant increase,” Lynch said.

The Signature Choice ad campaign will include newspaper and magazine placements, plus radio spots and bus placards. In addition, VSP will test TV commercials for the first time, in five markets: Charlotte, N.C.; Seattle; St. Louis; Sacramento; and Columbus, Ohio. The company will also distribute materials to participating eyecare practitioners for use in their offices.

The Signature Choice program, aimed at individuals such as retirees and the self-employed, began rolling out nationally in April through the Consumer Choice Association, which offers its members a range of options to budget for their health-care needs. Enrollment and billing are handled by Careington International; VSP administers the underwriting, payments to eyecare practitioners and customer service for the program.