Over 30 million kids go back to school every year with undetected vision problems. Vision problems can lead to problems in school. But, kids that see an eye doctor to get checked can correct their vision, which can leads to better performance in school. That why we created Howard and the Amazing Eye Exam, a children's ebook designed to encourage parents and kids to visit the eye doctor. To get as many eyes on our message as possible, we partnered with a single retailer – the nation’s biggest back-to-school destination: Walmart. In a never-been-done-before collaboration, we activated Walmart’s Vision Center employees and their network of eye care techs and eye health practitioners to spread the word about the importance of eye exams in stores and in schools.

- We worked with The Ohio State University’s Director of Pediatric Optometry, Dr. Catherine McDaniel, to create Howard and the Amazing Eye Exam, a FREE ebook. To get as many eyes on our message as possible, we went to the nation’s biggest back-to-school destination: Walmart. In a never-been-done-before collaboration, we activated Walmart’s Vision Center employees and their network of eye care techs and eye health practitioners to spread the word about the importance of eye exams in stores and in schools. We transformed Walmart’s highest traffic areas into live story-time events. We amplified the campaign in all the places parents visit as they prepare their kids to go back to school: in magazines, on social media, on the web, and on the streets, near high-traffic shopping centers. All of this led to unprecedented incremental merchandising and display of Alcon’s OTC portfolio of brands.

The program shattered the established objectives of a +15 lift in sales, and +2% increase in category share. To date it delivered:

• 262% incremental sales lift vs. YAGO

• +2 Million in incremental sales

• 3.5% increase in category share vs YAGO

• Walmart events lead to 3X the engagement at Visions Centers

• Local promoted social media delivering 2.9MM impressions**

• Clicks to access the eBook totaled 17,000**

• Street teams in New York and Chicago, engaged with over 24,000 consumers**

*Source: Nielsen-Alcon Custom AOD Database July – August 2015

**Source: Starcom Media, Alcon Howard and the Amazing Eye Exam Campaign Review, Aug. 2015