Finola Hughes Promotes Varilux Crizal at Fashion Week
Essilor launched a major integrated marketing initiative for Varilux and Crizal lenses at New York’s Fashion Week in February by introducing style maven Finola Hughes as the brands’ spokesperson. Between personal appearances and a satellite media tour from the floor of the Tracy Reese show, Hughes, host of the Style Network’s top-rated television show, “How Do I Look?,” helped Essilor reach more than 20 million consumers with a “fashion and function” healthy vision message.

As an Emmy-award winning actress and acclaimed fashion commentator in her late 40s, as well as a progressive lens-wearer, Essilor strategists believed Hughes would be an ideal “voice” and role model for merging fashion and function when it comes to eye health.

“Finola Hughes is a great ambassador for fashionable eye health,” says Carl Bracy, vice president of marketing for Essilor of America, Inc. “She lends a very credible voice to a ‘merging fashion with function’ healthy vision message. The value of her personal endorsement of our brands will be a cornerstone of our marketing efforts for Varilux and Crizal lenses this year.”

After kicking off the multi-faceted campaign at Fashion Week, Essilor is continuing with Finola Hughes/Varilux point-of-purchase displays, online sponsorship and focused initiatives throughout the year. The program will address consumer needs in sunwear products, scratch resistance, education about progressive lenses and more. Hughes conducted more than 25 radio, print, television and online interviews on behalf of the Essilor brands, with media across the country, resulting in news segments that aired on more than 150 television stations, reaching more than 20 million viewers.

“Fashion Week was a new experience for me this year because it’s the first year I could actually see,” says Hughes. “In previous years, I’ve had to dig in my handbag for my reading glasses to take notes, often missing some of the looks as they came down the runway. But this year with my Varilux with Crizal lenses, I’ve been able to see near, far and everything in between. I found that a clear vision of the world is my best accessory!” Hughes attended such high-profile shows as Tracy Reese, Diesel, Alexander Wang and Rag & Bone.


Vision-Ease Lens Debuts Bilingual Web Site Additions
Vision-Ease Lens recently introduced its first bilingual web site enhancement, specialized to serve its growing Latin American client base. With the web site extensions, Vision-Ease Lens is now able to offer comprehensive communication and increase its credibility among diverse consumer markets.

In addition to listing product specifications, the web site provides users with Vision-Ease Lens product availability, technical education, in-country distributors, poly processing tips and contact information.

“This new site allows us to extend our web presence and more effectively communicate with a Latin American client-base community,” says Barry Resnik, director of marketing, Vision-Ease Lens. “With everything from sell sheets to technical specifications, we’re able to inform all of our key audiences about Vision-Ease Lens products—without any communication barriers.”

The translated site brings added resources to a newer, more specific market for Vision-Ease Lens. By relaying technical product information in an accommodating language, the Latin American web site gives users the visibility to purchase Vision-Ease Lens products in their own country.

“We’re now about to communicate with and distribute to the smaller accounts that weren’t able to access products,” says Resnik. “Meeting the needs of our Latin American audience, the new web site keeps our key markets up-to-speed on the necessary sales and product tools with a convenient, easy-to-access resource.”


Informational Drivewear Videos for ECPs and Patients
Younger Optics now offers two high-quality videos with information on Drivewear lenses Activated by Transitions: a 60-second looping video for the patient waiting room and a three-minute Drivewear training video for eyecare professionals. The first explains the benefits of Drivewear technology at the consumer level, showing and explaining how Drivewear lenses react in real life situations—from driving in overcast and daylight conditions to boating and bike riding outdoors in bright light conditions. The second adds important information about complimentary marketing materials available for your practice through Younger Optics. Both videos come in DVD format and are offered at no charge.