TRANSITIONS OPTICAL MAKES NEW TOOLS AVAILABLE TO AID EYECARE PROFESSIONALS IN EDUCATING PARENTS ABOUT HEALTHY VISION FOR CHILDREN
New Point-of-Sale Tools Complement Mom-Focused Consumer Print Advertising Reaching Parents This Back-to-School Season
PINELLAS PARK, Fla., June 18, 2003 – Just in time for back-to-school, Transitions Optical, Inc. is introducing three new tools to support eyecare professionals in the process of educating parents about healthy vision for their children. The tools complement the look and messaging of Transitions Optical’s mom-focused print advertising, enabling eyecare professionals to leverage this national advertising outreach in their practices.

According to a recent study by Transitions Optical, nearly two-thirds of parents of children who wear prescription eyewear say they either don’t believe or don’t know if they are providing their children with lenses that offer UV protection1. Yet protecting children’s eyes from UV rays is very important, since an estimated 80 percent of lifetime sun exposure occurs before age 182 and cumulative damage from UV exposure may contribute to serious age-related diseases of the eye.

“We know eyecare professionals lead the charge in educating parents about the need for everyday protection for children’s eyes and the options available,” said Denis Fisk, director of global education, Transitions. “We’re pleased to support them with advertising that reinforces these messages and by making available point-of-sale tools to help generate dialogue between eyecare professionals and parents on these topics.”

New tools include:

o “3 Reasons Why Transitions® Lenses Are the Smart Choice for Kids” counter card – This 8.5-inch by 11-inch tool is a self-standing display that educates patients on the need for UV and glare protection and the value of shatter-resistant lens materials for children, and includes a call-to-action for parents to ask their eyecare professionals for more information. The tool can also be used as a reference when eyecare professionals explain the benefits of Transitions Lenses for healthy vision.

o “Ask Why Transitions Lenses Are the Smart Choice for Kids” mirror cling – This tool piques patients’ curiosity about the benefits of Transitions Lenses for children and encourages them to ask their eyecare professionals for more information. It can be adhered to almost any surface, such as on the mirrors between frame displays in children’s areas of the dispensary. The cling is 7.5 inches by 4 inches.

o “Three Reasons Why Transitions Lenses Are the Smart Choice for Kids” overview sheet – This dispensing sheet arms eyecare professionals with tips they can use to explain to parents the benefits of Transitions Lenses for children. These include the fact that developing eyes are more vulnerable to the harmful effects of UV exposure, and, although not always visible in early years, UV damage is cumulative and is a possible factor contributing to age-related eye diseases.

All tools reflect the look of Transitions Optical’s mom-focused print advertising, which features close-up photos of children wearing Transitions Lenses in the clear and darkened states. The ads educate parents about the need for UV and glare protection and Transitions Lenses as an everyday option. They will run in the United States in TV Guide, Better Homes & Gardens, Family Circle, Ladies Home Journal, Woman's Day, Family Fun, Parenting and Parents. They will run in Canada in English in Canadian Gardening, Canadian House & Home, Canadian Living, Homemakers, Chatelaine, Maclean’s, Reader’s Digest, Time, Elm Street, Toronto Life and Today’s Parents, and in French in Châtelaine, Coup de Pouce, Le Lundi, Sélection du Reader’s Digest, Sept Jours and Enfants Québec.

Healthy Vision for Children

“Most children wear only one pair of glasses, according to a survey which showed that only 7.5 percent of children who wear prescription eyewear also own prescription sunglasses3,” Fisk added. “This implies that children’s everyday lenses must meet all of their needs, which is why educating parents on all aspects of healthy vision for children is so important.”

Children typically are fitted with impact-resistant polycarbonate or Trivex™ prescription lenses, which fulfill the duty to warn obligation and block 100 percent of UVA and UVB radiation, but offer no protection from visible light outdoors. To provide children 100 percent automatic UV and glare protection, Transitions Lenses in an impact-resistant material are the ideal everyday lens solution.

For more information about the new tools from Transitions Optical, contact your Transitions Solutions Team representative, Transitions Platinum Elite STAR Lab representative or Transitions Optical Customer Service. You can visit transitions.com or contact Transitions Optical Customer Service at (800) 848-1506 (United States) or (877) 254-2590 (Canada).

# # #
1 Survey conducted from Sept. 20-24, 2002 by ICR, Media, Pa., of parents in households with children under age 18.
2 Stern RS, Weinstein MC, Baker SG. Risk reduction for nonmelanoma skin cancer with childhood sunscreen use. Arch Dermatol. 1986;122:537-545.
3 Survey of 2,200 households by Health Products Research, December 2000.