Children's Book That Tests Eyes Rated the World's Most effective Ad Campaign

"A children's book in Australia, which makes it easier for parents to screen their child's vision, has been named the world's most effective advertising campaign," according to a post on Mashable. "Australian ad agency Saatchi & Saatchi created Penny the Pirate book, which has eye tests disguised as images on its pages, for optometry company OPSM. The Warc 100, an annual ranking of marketing campaigns that tests effectiveness of ads, placed the book and app as its number one campaign for 2016, based on its performance in 2015. Combining a traditional book and a tablet app that is available for free, Penny the Pirate incorporates multiple vision tests into a fun kids' book, allowing parents to test their eyesight as they read the story to their child. No frightening optometrist visits here." Read more.

J&J Helps U.K. Opticians Market Contact Lenses

"A new range of promotional materials designed to help opticians attract, convert and retain contact lens patients has been released by Johnson & Johnson Vision Care," according to Optician Online. "The materials, available through the myAccount section on the www.jnjvisioncare.co.uk site, include point of sale tools such as counter cards, leaflets and posters. A range of direct mail and online solutions, including print advertisements, email templates and website banners is also available. All of the materials can be personalised with practice details." Read more.

Lupita Nyong’o Stars in Miu Miu’s New Campaign

“A&A Optical announces the release of four new ophthalmic and four new sun frames from luxury collection: Jimmy Crystal New York,” writes Midwest Lens. “The designer eyewear collection is comprised of striking limited edition pieces reminiscent of a collector’s item. Each style is unique and special, featuring hand set Swarovski elements. Jimmy Crystal New York was established in 1991 and is renowned for fashion-forward designs and superior quality accessories. Designer pieces include ophthalmic eyewear, sunglasses and reading glasses in acetate, metal and combinations.” Read more.

New Marketing Campaign for Mykita

“Mystical moonscapes, rock formations and foreign flora and fauna provided the backdrop to the Mykita campaign shoot this year,” reports Midwest Lens. “For the sixth Mykita campaign in collaboration with artist and photographer Mark Borthwick, friends, family and models gathered on Lanzarote, an island of volcanic origin surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean. The stark island with its black beaches, rocky volcanic cliffs and smattering of odd-looking halophytes sets a unique scene with a truly otherworldly atmosphere. The setting – minimalist and fantastical at the same time – provided the framework for unconventional nature images, which – alongside a series of portraits taken in deserted landscapes – make up the visual language of the campaign.” Read and see more.

British Retailer’s Marketing Campaign Increases Sales

Marketing Week reports that the British retailer Vision Express “launched its ‘Vision. Taken Seriously’ campaign, created by agency Dare, last month and James White, Vision Express’s head of brand marketing, told Marketing Week that it has already helped push sales up by double-digit figures. He said the campaign is the first stage in plans to cement Vision Express as the authority in the industry.” Read more.

Cute Ad from Specsavers

"Discount eyewear retailer Specsavers is exporting an Australia-made ad to Ireland," reports a Numbrella post. "The spot, created by Smart Melbourne, features a woman who mistakes an engagement ring for a pebble because of her poor eye sight, and skims it across the water." Read more.

Company Uses Those Funky Looking Squares (QR Code) to Increase Sales

Business2Community notes that "over the course of 2010, Fatheadz nearly tripled its sales revenue.  According to Rico [Elmore, the CEO of Fatheadz Eyeware], one of the factors that helped Fatheadz realize exceptional growth this past year was their strategic decision to align with athlete sponsors.  Auto racers are frequently seen wearing cool shades, so Fatheadz established a marketing partnership with USAC (United States Auto Club). At USAC’s race events, Fatheadz gives out souvenir ‘Hero Cards’ to their loyal fans.  Imprinted on the back of each Hero Card is a QR code that brings the user to a mobile-formatted web page that highlights the driver appearing on the front of the card.  From here, users can read more about the driver and order the same eyeware they wear. The result of this novel campaign has been terrific." Read more.

Retailer Takes Vintage to a New Level

The NationalPost covers the opening of a Toronto optical shop with a unique marketing angle: 

With nary a pair of Coke bottle lenses to be found, Jordan Paul’s Junction optical shop Opticianado gives new life to charming dead stock — even the  prescription-less wander in to covet his never-worn vintage specs.

 “Eyewear is an accessory that can balance out your face,” Paul explains. “A lot of vintage frames have really sharp angles or very extreme shapes, but when doing the buying I’ve been trying to find shapes that everybody can wear.”

Paul, 34, worked in high-end opticals in Toronto and Florida for 15 years before starting his own shop, quietly amassing nearly 500 quirky frames in his spare time. “I have a very understanding wife,” he says of his lost closet space. “I’m a collector; I collect musical instruments, I collect records, so it kind of went hand in hand.”

Read more.

The Future of Retail Sales? In Yours? In Your Competitor's?

MyBusiness imagines: "You’re in a department store and spot an item you love … but you can’t find one in your size....[A sales assistant] informs you that while there are none in your size in stock, the store’s online shop has plenty...That kind of transaction is a vision described by Robbie Robertson, managing director and co-founder of “experiential design” company e2, who says 'We are seeing an understanding and acceptance that online retailing is here to stay. Larger brands are accepting it. They are turning their stores into the experience and then "closing' the sale online. The next step is admitting that retailing is a showroom and that it should be a showroom, but knowing you have such a robust online store you can sell online in the shop.'" Read more.

Chains Claim "Which?" Optician Study Inaccurate

"Optical chains have reacted to last week's critical report of the profession by consumer watchdog Which? - claiming it did not represent a large enough sample of stores," reports OpticianOnline. "The Which? investigation's worst performing chain, Optical Express, insisted it offered 'an excellent standard of patient care'. Two Optical Express practices were rated as 'very poor' by Which? mystery shoppers, while another was rated as 'poor'."  Read more.

X Factor Spurs Sales for Online Retailer

The X Factor is back on UK television screens, and for the owners of London based online glasses firm SpecsPost these are happy days. A company press release claims that sales will soar. “During the months when the X Factor show is live on our screens in the UK, sales always rise, giving us some of our best month…. but we can’t put our finger on why this is,” says David Cregor, founder of SpecsPost. Like many other retailers specialist online glasses company SpecsPost benefits from the influence and power of fashion trends promoted by celebrity. Some consumer trends are much easier to follow and explain. For example the release of Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 2 film saw the sale of round ‘Potter’ style metal glasses increase fivefold over the first month of hitting UK cinemas. Read more.

Oakley Starts Its Olympics Campaign in Britain

"In the run-up to the upcoming Olympic Games, high-end sunglasses brand Oakley is set to replicate the marketing model of its existing You Vs social media campaign and extend it across multiple devices such as Apple's iPad, games consoles and web-connected TVs," reads the post on CommerceTuned. "The You Vs campaign, which runs on Facebook, is centred on a branded video game in which players must compete against famous sportsmen. The overall winner then gets the chance to play against the sportsmen in real life. It has been Oakley's biggest digital investment in Europe to date, reaching into the six-figures." Read more.

British Patients Get to Rate Opticians

"This September, NHS [the British National Health Service, which monitors health care professionals] Choices launches a system allowing opticians to showcase their service and obtain patient feedback at www.nhs.uk," notes Optometry.co.uk. "Members of the public will be able to leave feedback on opticians and read other patients’ experiences of practices – helping them decide where to access services." Read more.

New Eyewear and Sunwear Site

EyewearGeek, a new website of sunwear and eyewear, is the brainchild of an actor (Chappelle's Show, Bleeding Rose), producer (The d Littles Show), and ILori stylist--Duane Littles. He has worked as an eyewear and sunwear stylist at the ILori Soho eyewear boutique in New York City. The website features  classic iconic frames like Ray Ban and Persol, fashion frames like Tom Ford and Gucci, in the know niche brands like Sama and Gold & Wood or edgy frames like Chrome Hearts and Loree Rodkin. Visitors can be more of an individual and be fitted for a limited or exclusive edition designed frame. Read more from EyewearGeek's press release.

Online Retailer Going After Mobile Market

HaberVision, tan online retailer of polarized eyewear, has moved into the mobile market by adopting mobiSHADES, an easy-to-use mobile service that allows consumers to virtually "try on" different styles of designer sunglasses at anytime, anywhere a wireless phone connection is available. Read more in its press release. For more information visit http://www.HaberVision.com and http://mobishades.mobiusworld.me.

British Chain Rated Most Trusted

"Specsavers has been voted the Most Trusted Optician by British consumers," according to a post on PersonnelToday. "The results of the well-respected Reader's Digest Most Trusted Brands 2011 survey place Specsavers in first position for the 10th year running." Read more.

Memphia-Area OD in Trouble for Flying the American Flag

"In late July, an eye doctor [optometrist] in Germantown decided to show her American spirit by installing a 20- foot flagpole outside her leased office and flying the U.S. flag," says a post on CommercialAppeal."'I think I should have the freedom to fly the flag,' Dr. Dawn Kamin said Wednesday. 'This is America.' But she said the property management company is telling her she has until Monday to take the flag down outside Affordable Eye Care of Germantown at 2205 West Street in Corporate Centre." Read more.

British Independents Beat Out Chains

"Independent opticians are a safer place for people to have their eyes tested and get new glasses – as demonstrated by a new Which? report released today," goes a press release.Read more. "Richard Pakey, the leading champion of the UK’s 3,000 independent opticians, has welcomed the consumer report. In a number of tests, researchers got a higher standard of eye test from independents than they did at the big chains."

Founder of Online Eyewear Company Goes to Washington

"One day last month, Neil Blumenthal, who is a young entrepreneur, found himself in an ornate room on Capitol Hill listening to a parade of politicians — Senator Charles E. Schumer, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Senator John McCain, among others — talk about how important young entrepreneurs were to the economy," reports the NYTimes. "Mr. Blumenthal, 31, one of the founders of Warby Parker, an online eyewear company that sells designer frames for less than $100, was among 150 young chief executives invited to Washington by Our Time, a youth advocacy group, to help start Buy Young, an initiative that encourages consumers to support companies owned by members of the millennial generation." Read more.

Health of Health Industry in Question

During this recession, the health industry--unlike all others--has grown significantly as well as creating new job opportunities. Between cuts in federal medical insurance and the gyrations of Wall Street, its future is being questioned. "While few experts can predict how the stock market’s gyrations and government cutbacks this month will affect the health industry, several health industry analysts warn that the sector is showing signs of economic sluggishness that has long kept other business sectors beleaguered," reports the NYTimes. Read more.