The Vision Council Ramps Up Promotions for National Sunglasses Day 2018

Alexandria, VA (June 20, 2018) – For the fifth consecutive year, The Vision Council is promoting the importance of UV-protective eyewear with the celebration of National Sunglasses Day, taking place June 27. The annual day of recognition, which has garnered support and promotions from organizations across the eyewear and eyecare industry, reminds consumers that wearing sunglasses is not only fashionable, but also a health necessity to protect the eyes from long- and short-term damage from the sun's UV rays.

The National Sunglasses Day campaign went viral in 2016 and 2017, garnering more than 586 million and 900 million print, online, social media and broadcast impressions, respectively, through outlets like "TODAY with Kathie Lee & Hoda," "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," "The Daily Buzz," Bustle.com, InStyle.com and People.com, among many others. In 2016, National Sunglasses Day was a trending topic on Facebook, and in 2017, the official campaign hashtag was trending as no. 1 on Twitter throughout June 27. The campaign earned a Bronze Media Relations Award via Bulldog Reporter in 2016 for best use of social media in the business/consumer space.

Based on previous years' successes, The Vision Council has continued reaching consumers via social media, as well as pitching key entertainment, fashion, health and lifestyle consumer media outlets and influencers, leveraging the official hashtags #NationalSunglassesDay and #SunglassSelfie. Here is how The Vision Council is spreading the word about National Sunglasses Day:

  • Celebrity- and blogger-sponsored Instagram posts to be published on June 27 promoting the occasion;
  • An influencer Instagram "takeover" via the Eyecessorize account to showcase how the influencer incorporates sunwear into her everyday lifestyle;
  • A press release via PR Newswire to be published two days prior to the commemorative date to further push the messaging to the masses;
  • A nationally syndicated segment on "Daytime," and three regional broadcast segments on "KTLA," "Good Morning Connecticut" and CT Style," to all air on June 27 spreading the word about National Sunglasses Day and the importance of UV eye protection;
  • Official National Sunglasses Day Facebook frames for users to leverage on June 27 with their profile pictures;
  • A social media sunglasses giveaway via The Vision Council's Facebook page.
Notably, last year's media tour with Marie Claire editor-at-large, "E! News" fashion correspondent and "GlamMasters" judge Zanna Roberts Rassi resulted in more than 30 million broadcast media impressions. Zanna proved to be a great spokesperson on behalf of The Vision Council, and due to the high number of impressions garnered in 2017, The Vision Council opted to work with Zanna for a second media tour this year. The media tour – which resulted in ~24 live and live-to-tape TV and radio interviews – was strategically filmed on June 13, two weeks prior to National Sunglasses Day to allow stations more time to prepare their segments leading up to June 27. The majority of the segments will be airing in the weeks prior to and on June 27, and will focus on key campaign messaging, along with UV eye health and style tips, ultimately encouraging consumers to wear and purchase UV-protective eyewear products.

The Vision Council has been on a mission to encourage organizations throughout the industry and the retail space to show their support of the campaign, and has already seen tremendous support. A few examples include, but are not limited to:

  • An email outlining what National Sunglasses Day is, its key messaging and ways to leverage the campaign materials was distributed to 3,000-plus eye doctors who practice at Walmart/Sam's Club optical locations;
  • Luxottica plans to promote National Sunglasses Day to its customers through its B2B site, my.luxottica.com, utilizing the campaign's official logo on its assets;
  • Silhouette is hosting an exclusive New York City event for trade media and B2C press/influencers on June 27 promoting its 2018 sunwear collection, capitalizing on National Sunglasses Day;
  • Maui Jim is also hosting an exclusive New York City media event on June 27, as well as executing numerous sponsored influencer social media posts, while having each account executive select one account to host a trunk show to celebrate National Sunglasses Day, among many other initiatives;
  • Optic Nerve/Mountain Shades will be offering a 25 percent off site-wide sale the week leading up to National Sunglasses Day, with ramped up social media promotions sharing The Vision Council's UV eye health statistics and tips.

The Vision Council continues to encourage all industry partners to spread the National Sunglasses Day message to educate consumers about UV eye safety and increase product sales. Please contact Lindsey Ruhe, The Vision Council's senior marketing & communications manager, consumer programs, to share your company's efforts to help promote National Sunglasses Day.

The Vision Council also encourages eyecare providers to engage their patients in discussions about healthy vision maintenance, including the impact of UV eye exposure, as well as UV-protective eyewear options.

For more information about the campaign and to access complementary marketing assets, please visit nationalsunglassesday.com. For more information about The Vision Council's official UV eye health statistics and tips, visit thevisioncouncil.org/uv.

About The Vision Council

Championing better vision for better lives, The Vision Council positions its members for success by promoting growth in the vision care industry through education, advocacy, research, consumer outreach, strategic relationship building and industry forums. By sharing the latest in eyewear trends, advances in technology and advice from eyewear experts, The Vision Council serves as a resource to the public looking to learn more about options in eyeglasses and sunglasses. For more information, visit www.thevisioncouncil.org.