VARILUX PROGRESSIVE LENSES WITH CRIZAL SHINE AS A “BEST ACCESSORY” AT FASHION WEEK
Style Maven Finola Hughes Helps Essilor Reach More Than 20 Million Consumers
DALLAS (Feb. 26, 2008) – Last week, Essilor’s Varilux® and Crizal® lenses launched a major new integrated marketing initiative at New York’s Fashion Week, introducing Finola Hughes, host of the Style Network’s top-rated television show, How Do I Look?, as the brands’ spokesperson. Between personal appearances and a satellite media tour from the floor of the Tracy Reese Show, Hughes helped Essilor reach more than 20 million consumers with a “fashion and function” healthy vision message.

As an Emmy-awarding 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,” said 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.”

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Essilor kicked off the multi-faceted campaign at Fashion Week, which will continue 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 on Feb. 8, 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!” said 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, Rag & Bone, and more.