ESSILOR INTRODUCES NEW AND IMPROVED CRIZAL AVANCÉ LENSES WITH SCOTCHGARD PROTECTOR
Enhanced Scratch Resistant Layer to Deliver the Most Technologically Sophisticated Lens on the Market Today
DALLAS – (Jan. 8, 2009) – Essilor of America, Inc., the nation’s leading manufacturer of optical lenses, today announces the launch of the new and improved Crizal® AvancéTM lenses with ScotchgardTM Protector, the fastest-selling and most advanced anti-reflective (AR) lens available on the market. This enhanced lens line remains the most sophisticated for resisting scratches, repelling smudge and dust and virtually eliminating glare.

“Essilor is committed to driving innovation and delivering the best products available in the marketplace to ECPs and their patients, as evidenced by the debut of the new and improved Crizal Avancé lenses with Scotchgard Protector,” said Carl Bracy, vice president of marketing for Essilor of America. “Research shows that these superior lenses can withstand even the harshest elements of everyday life.”

The new and improved Crizal Avancé lenses with Scotchgard Protector will offer:
• The Scratch Resistant Booster LayerTM: An improved layer of scratch resistance that is twice as scratch resistant as Crizal Alizé® and ensures durability and visual acuity over time.
• Crizal Avancé Lenses with Scotchgard Protector: An integrated multi-layer AR stack, anti-static properties and the best super-hydrophobic topcoat on the market, utilizing the High Surface Density ProcessTM and Pad Control SystemTM. Because of the HSD process, Crizal Crizal Avancé lenses with Scotchgard Protector are still the only lens available that keep more than 98 percent of its topcoat—even after 20,000 cleanings.

Lab tests show Crizal Avancé lenses with Scotchgard Protector are twice as scratch resistant as Crizal Alizé lenses and equally as scratch-resistant as a glass lens with AR, making these superior lenses the most scratch-resistant on the market. Additional tests show the new and improved line of lenses remains the clearest, with the least amount of haze, while exhibiting excellent durability over time.

Last January, Essilor teamed with 3M Company to debut the first generation of Crizal Avancé lenses with Scotchgard Protector, combining the industry-leading, durability and ease of cleaning benefits of Crizal Alizé lenses and the unmatched protective qualities of Scotchgard Protector for the best available performance.

Since the initial launch last January, sales of Crizal Avancé lenses with Scotchgard Protector have grown at an average monthly rate of 86 percent, reflecting strong consumer receptivity.

Beginning Feb. 10, 2008, the new and improved Crizal Avancé lenses with Scotchgard Protector will be available to ECPs and their patients.