As families plan for the upcoming school year, Acuvue, a contact lenses brand, is encouraging parents to schedule eye exams for their children.
In the process, the Johnson & Johnson-owned brand is promoting its Abiliti overnight contact lenses to correct myopia, also known as nearsightedness.
“When we think about parents checking things off the list for the school year, we thought this was a good idea, to encourage them to go get eye exams, just like they would go get their kids a physical,” said Lisa McAlister, global myopia lead at Johnson & Johnson Vision.
Studies indicate that myopia is becoming more common. In 1971, 25% of Americans were nearsighted, according to the National Eye Institute; in 2017, the number was 41%.
The campaign is focusing on Instagram because “that’s where the majority of our parents are,” McAlister said.
As part of the campaign, the brand is partnering with influencers such as Jason Hanna, whose Instagram account documents his journey with his husband, Joe, in raising twins.
“Summer break is flying by, and the kids are taking full advantage of all the fun activities,” Hanna wrote in a sponsored post. “As we prepare for back-to-school season, we are prioritizing scheduling their annual comprehensive eye exams. I remember having friends in school that struggled with seeing the board in class, so I want to ensure my kiddos are set up for academic success.”
The campaign is planning other sponsored content, including posts featuring optometrists on LinkedIn, McAlister said.
FleishmanHillard is managing PR for the campaign, which will include sponsored stories in consumer publications, according to Daniel Howell, VP at FleishmanHillard.
Acuvue will measure the campaign’s effectiveness through metrics such as recall of message, comments on social media and traffic to the Abiliti website, McAlister said.
This article originally appeared on PRWeek US.
