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Blanchard Contact Lenses Sponsors Gabby Chaves for 101st Indianapolis 500

Manchester, NH – Blanchard Contact Lenses announced their support of IndyCar driver Gabby Chaves, in the No. 88 Harding Racing car.  Chaves has been wearing Onefit™ Scleral Lenses since February of 2017, and reached out to Blanchard to express his gratitude for what the lenses have done to help continue his racing career.  From there, a partnership was formed and the Onefit™ Scleral Lens logo can be found on Chaves’ helmet as he aims to make history on Sunday, May 28th at the 101st Indianapolis 500.

After being named Rookie of the Year in 2015, Chaves had problems with his vision deteriorating and was issued a restricted IndyCar license for the 2016 IndyCar season, where he tried to make do with heavy prescription glasses and soft contact lenses – both of which were very uncomfortable for him when driving.  Even with the glasses and soft contacts, he was still very close to failing the yearly IndyCar eye exam for the 2017 season.  When the IndyCar eye doctor expressed serious concerns about this, Chaves took matters into his own hands.  In February 2017, he found an eye care practitioner who performed a Corneal Cross Linking procedure and prescribed him Onefit™ Scleral Lenses.  Not only does Chaves now have better than 20/20 vision in both eyes and  an unrestricted IndyCar license, he also told Blanchard recently: “Today was opening day for practice, and for once I didn’t even have to think about my eye comfort or sight all day.”

The Onefit™ platform of scleral lenses are designed with minimal lens mass and tear lens thickness to deliver optimal oxygenation to the cornea.  From inception, Onefit lenses were designed to meet or exceed Holden-Mertz, Harvitt-Bonanno criteria for optimum oxygenation of the cornea and limbal stem cells.  The platform of lenses offer a wide variety of design applications for many different indications.

“We designed Onefit scleral lenses to provide an array of benefits, many of which make them the ideal choice for athletes or active individuals such as Gabby Chaves” said Jean Blanchard, President of Blanchard Contact Lenses.  “We are happy that Gabby shared his success story with us, and are excited to support him in the Indy 500 and look forward to a continued partnership” added Blanchard.

For more information on Onefit™ Scleral Lenses, visit http://blanchardlab.com/products/onefit/, as well as the consumer website https://www.onefitlenses.com/.

 

IRIS Acquires Two Clinics Including First Location in Maritimes

Laval, QC — IRIS, The Visual Group, announced its acquisition of “Blanchard & Soicher” in Fredericton, New Brunswick as well as acquiring a controlling interest of “la Clinique optométrique Ste-Thérèse”.

The Blanchard & Soicher clinic was founded in 1984 by Drs. Marisa Blanchard and Mel Soicher, and offers the full gamut of optometric services and is known for its family-style approach. This acquisition is a first step into the penetration of the Maritime market and adds another notch in the furtherance of its pan-Canadian expansion project.

Regarding the significant equity in the Ste Therese clinic, established in 1963, IRIS is continuing to pursue its pan-Canadian expansion strategy. Drs. Marie-Claude Thibault, Valérie Bélisle and Isabelle Lacroix will remain partners.

“We are very pleased to have acquired this optometry clinic that has been such an integral part of the Ste Thérèse community for over fifty-four years. Drs. Marie-Claude Thibault, Valérie Bélisle and Isabelle Lacroix are the third generation of optometrists to practice in this clinic founded by Drs. Jacqueline Moreau and Henri Allard and in which Dr. Louise Gagnon has been practicing since 1976” claimed Dr. Chaiken, president and CEO of IRIS.

 

Click below for the full press releases:

IRIS, Blanchard & Soicher

IRIS, Clinique optométrique Ste-Thérèse

 

Etnia Barcelona Introduces “Be Anartist” New Global Brand Campaign

Etnia Barcelona introduces “BE ANARTIST”, its new global campaign inspired by the icons of cinema and art, by the photographer Biel Capllonch.

Based on the artistic avant-gardes, Etnia Barcelona has created a Manifesto and an Anartist Decalogue, composed by 11 commandments, to deepen in its brand identity and to claim that the brand is more than colour, culture and quality.

“BE ANARTIST” is a campaign composed by different photographs that express the Anartist’s attitude, that challenge the viewer, provoking him. Filled with film references, the campaign photos recall mythical movie scenes such as “A Clockwork Orange”, “The Big Lebowski” or ”Pulp Fiction” and they are a tribute to movie directors such as Hitchcock, Lynch, the Coen Brothers or Kubrick.

All of the pictures have a common element: all the Anartists are wearing Etnia Barcelona’s
glasses. A campaign where all the eyewear collections of the brand are the protagonists.

Each collection responds to some concerns and conveyed and expressed through the creations. Different collections for different personalities: Originals for the purest ones, Advance for the techies, Vintage for the old school lovers and Capsules for the most daring ones.

Biel Capllonch is photographer bonded to the image of the Sonar Music Festival from many years, for its transgressive aesthetics and cultural references. His work is irreverent and highly influenced by the world of cinema, strengthening the cinematographic aspect of his photos. This is precisely what he has done for the “BE ANARTIST” campaign, capturing the “Anartist” essence of Etnia Barcelona in each of the scenes.

Click here for the complete press release.

 

Warby Parker Unveils ‘Prescription Check’ Smartphone App

Warby Parker’s new Prescription Check is a mobile refraction service available for computer and smartphones that allows the user to check if their prescription has changed.

A short introductory video on Warby Parker’s website explains that the approximately 20-minute long vision test requires a phone, computer, a credit card (for measurement purposes) and a room with about 12 feet of space.

The results of the vision test will be sent to an eye doctor affiliated with Warby Parker, who can approve the prescription if it is unchanged or recommend a comprehensive eye exam. Warby Parker’s website emphasizes that the refraction test is not a substitute for a comprehensive eye exam from an eye doctor.

Initially only customers residing in the states of California, New York, Virginia and Florida are eligible, and only if they have no history of eye disease and if they have a prescription with sphere power between 0 and -6.0 diopters and cylinder between 0 and -2.0 diopters.

Warby Parker announces that they have plans to increase the number of eligible states and customers “soon.”

The technology in the Prescription Check app is similar to the controversial online vision tests developed by Opternative, and according to TechCrunch Warby Parker had considered buying the technology before deciding to build their own.

More information: https://techcrunch.com/2017/05/23/warby-parker-prescription-check/

New Look Vision in Search for New Chief Financial Officer

Montréal, Québec: New Look Vision Group Inc. announced that Derrick Giannoumis, CPA, CA, Senior Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer, will retire from the Company effective June 2, 2017. A search has commenced for his replacement. In the meantime, financial and investor queries will be handled by New Look Vision’s President, Antoine Amiel.

Mr. Amiel stated that: “Derrick joined us from Greiche & Scaff after its acquisition in October 2014 and contributed to its successful integration into New Look Vision as well as other accomplishments on our behalf. The Board of Directors, senior management and I wish him well in his new endeavours.”

 

Source: http://www.newlookvision.ca/en/press.aspx#openModal5

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