ALEXANDRIA, Va.—For the fourth consecutive year, The Vision Council is promoting the importance of UV-protective eyewear with the celebration of National Sunglasses Day, taking place tomorrow, June 27. The annual day of recognition reminds consumers that wearing sunglasses is not only fashionable but also a health necessity to protect the eyes from long and short term damage from the sun’s UV rays.

As VMail previously reported, National Sunglasses Day reached over 500 million social media impressions last year and since then, The Vision Council has continued reaching consumers via social media, as well as pitching key entertainment, fashion, health and lifestyle consumer media outlets and influencers, leveraging the official hashtags #NationalSunglassesDay and #SunglassSelfie.

The campaign has also secured celebrity and blogger-sponsored Instagram and blog posts to be published on June 27 promoting the occasion and is gifting key influencers with sunglasses in exchange for additional social media coverage using the hashtags. A press release via PR Newswire has also been published to further push the messaging to the masses.

Lastly, The Vision Council has landed two regional broadcast segments on “Let’s Talk Live DC” and “CT Style” to air tomorrow, featuring OD and medical adviser Dr. Justin Bazan spreading the word about National Sunglasses Day and the importance of UV eye protection.

New to The Vision Council’s plans is a series of broadcast interviews slated to take place tomorrow with Marie Claire senior fashion editor and “E! News” fashion correspondent Zanna Roberts Rassi as the official spokesperson for National Sunglasses Day. The interviews will focus on key campaign messaging, along with UV eye health and style tips, ultimately encouraging consumers to wear and purchase UV-protective eyewear products.

Additionally, The the organization is executing National Sunglasses Day-themed Snapchat geofilters in eight major cities with higher-than-average UV levels, and initiating a social media challenge offering consumers the chance to win a free pair of sunglasses.

The Vision Council also encourages eyecare providers to engage their patients in discussions about healthy vision maintenance, including the impact of UV eye exposure, as well as UV-protective eyewear options. The organization urges ECPs to gain more insight on top-level statistical findings—including data surrounding consumer perceptions about UV eye exposure, as well as UV-protective eyewear available on the market—from its UV-focused VisionWatch report.

For more information, visit nationalsunglassesday.com.