The Vision Council, with Think About Your Eyes, Sees Tremendous Media Coverage at South by Southwest Eye Health Event

Alexandria, VA (March 14, 2019) – The Vision Council, in tandem with Think About Your Eyes, teamed up with The Jane Club to host a three-day event at South by Southwest March 8–10, to educate attending media, celebrities and influencers about eye health and style.

The Jane Club is an exclusive workspace in Los Angeles geared toward working moms and their families—the ideal audience to speak to about making vision a priority for the entire family and all age groups. The Vision Council and Think About Your Eyes sponsored The Jane Club's pop-up workspace in Austin, TX, and leveraged the space to showcase a variety of eyeglass, sunglass, readers and lens product, while speaking to the importance of annual eye exams, UV eye protection, digital eye health and children's eye health.

As a result of their efforts, The Vision Council and Think About Your Eyes secured tremendous media coverage for the vision industry at large through celebrity, broadcast and influencer partnerships, within just a week and a half before Vision Expo East 2019—the vision industry's premier event, unveiling the latest in eyewear and eyecare.

The organizations partnered with actress and business woman Gwyneth Paltrow—known for her modern lifestyle brand goop, which includes a website and podcast offering the latest in health and wellness—for a sponsored Instagram post sharing her appreciation for maintaining good eye health and the importance of an annual eye exam, tagging @thevisioncouncil and @thinkaboutyoureyes. Gwyneth personally requires vision correction and wears glasses. Additional celebrity partnerships include: actress Olivia Wilde, actress and co-founder of The Jane Club June Diane Raphael, and model, actress, supporter of The Jane Club and co-founder of the Finery app Brooklyn Decker.

Additionally, the organizations secured broadcast segments on "We Are Austin" and "KVUE Austin"—both local news and lifestyle outlets—featuring optometrist and medical adviser Dr. Justin Bazan and style expert Lindsey Ruhe highlighting the top-level messaging shared at the event.

Plus, the organizations hosted various talks and mini events—a talk about digital eye health, a talk about children's eye health, a Sip 'N See event to reveal the latest frame trends and a brunch with Finery app to showcase how eyewear should be part of everyone's wardrobes—throughout to further spread their messaging. As a result, renowned Texas influencers like Dani Austin and Jen Pinkston, among many others, have published sponsored Instagram posts sharing the messaging, with many additional influencer Instagram placements and blog posts on the horizon.

"The Vision Council and Think About Your Eyes are thrilled with the media coverage garnered as a result of South by Southwest, as both organizations are dedicated to bringing the importance of vision to the forefront," said Maureen Beddis, vice president of marketing and communications for The Vision Council. "We encourage the industry to join in our efforts by spreading the message of eyewear and eyecare to your followings through re-posts of these placements. Together, we can make a difference in showing individuals all the options they have to prioritize their eyes."

Please reach out to Lindsey Ruhe, The Vision Council's senior marketing and communications manager, consumer programs, at lruhe@thevisioncouncil.org for more information and image requests.

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.