NEW YORK—Essilor of America has signed a licensing agreement with 3M Company that gives Essilor the U.S. rights to market a new generation of Crizal anti-reflective lenses under 3M’s Scotchgard Protector brand. Essilor is debuting the new lens, Crizal Avancé with Scotchgard Protector, at its national sales meeting, which begins here today. Beginning Jan. 15, Essilor will release the lenses to eyecare professionals and their patients.

According to Essilor executives, the lenses combine the anti-reflective, durability and ease of cleaning properties of Crizal Alizé with Clearguard lenses and the protective qualities of Scotchgard Protector.

“Other lenses smear, smudge and break down over time, losing their cleanability,” said Carl Bracy, vice president of marketing for Essilor of America. “By combining this familiar and trusted brand with the number one prescribed anti-reflective lens in the U.S., eyecare professionals [ECPs] will be able to sell Crizal lenses with greater ease and success than ever before, with the help of Scotchgard Protector, a name the consumer understands and trusts. Further, ECPs can feel more confident that their customers will contiue to experience the Crizal ease-of-cleaning benefit until they are ready to replace their eyewear.”

Robert M. Chad, business manager, 3M Energy and Advanced Materials Division, said “Naturally, healthy and comfortable eyesight is very important to people. Combining the most trusted anti-reflective brand, Crizal, with the advanced repellency and protection of Scotchgard Protector, to offer an even better solution to customers, represents the essence of 3M and Essilor’s commitment to enhancing the customer’s quality of life.”

For the past few years, Luxottica’s LensCrafters retail chain has been marketing an anti-reflective lens known as FeatherWates Complete Lenses Made with Scotchgard Protector. However, the product is different from Crizal Avancé with Scotchgard Protector and is part of a separate licensing agreement with 3M, according to Essilor.