Eyewear PR Package: Seeding Sunglasses and Prescription Frames

Why eyewear seeding is different

A candle fits everyone. A pair of frames does not. If the frame is too wide, slips down the nose or looks wrong on a face, the creator will not wear it on camera. They will not tell you either. The box just goes in a drawer.

Three things make eyewear harder than other accessories. Fit: face width, nose bridge and temple length all matter. Prescriptions: optical frames are useless to someone who needs lenses, and lenses need the creator's prescription (Rx) and pupillary distance (PD). Claims: words like UV400, polarized and 'blue-light protection' are claims about what a lens does, and creators tend to repeat whatever your packaging says.

There is a fourth problem that shows up later. Glasses read as part of the outfit. Creators wear them in a get-ready video or a travel vlog and never say your name or tag you. Plan for that from the start.

What each eyewear PR package needs

Sunglasses, optical frames, blue-light glasses and ski goggles each need different details before you ship and different items in the box.

What to put in the box

• A hard case and cleaning cloth. Creators film the unboxing. A loose frame in tissue paper looks cheap.
• A fit card. How to tell if the frame fits, and a line saying most local opticians can adjust nose pads and temples.
• A lens-claim card. What the lens is, in plain words, and what not to say about it. A template is below.
• An exchange note. If the frame doesn't fit, tell them how to swap it. Fit is the main reason gifted glasses go unworn.
• A short personal note. Name the frame and why you picked it for them. See what to write in a PR package note.

For packing and shipping basics that apply to all accessories, see how to send products to influencers.

Collect fit and prescription details before you ship

The goal is one short message, one reply, then ship. Every extra round of email slows the send and loses creators.

1. 01

   Send one short form

   Ask for shipping address, sunglasses or optical, plano or prescription, and frame size. Most people can read the size printed inside the temple arm of glasses they already own.

2. 02

   Make plano the default

   Non-prescription lenses ship faster and carry no Rx risk. Offer prescription lenses only to creators who wear glasses daily and will wear yours on camera.

3. 03

   For prescription orders, ask for the Rx and PD together

   Ask for a photo of a current prescription. Some prescriptions don't list PD, so ask them to get it from their optician rather than guess.

4. 04

   Confirm the frame

   Send two or three frame photos, or a try-on link if your site has one, and let them pick. A creator who chose the frame is more likely to wear it.

5. 05

   Handle Rx data with care

   A prescription is health information. Limit who can see it, use it only for the order and delete it once the lenses are made.

6. 06

   Tell them when it will arrive

   Prescription orders take longer than plano. Say so, so they don't think you forgot them.

Hi [name], we'd love to send you a pair of [frame name]. To get the fit right, could you reply with:
1. Shipping address
2. Sunglasses or optical
3. Non-prescription or prescription lenses
4. The size printed inside the arm of a pair you already wear (if you have one)
5. For prescription only: a photo of your current prescription and your PD
We only use your prescription to make the lenses and delete it after. No obligation to post. If you do, please mention it was a gift.

Matching creators to frames and timing the send

Match the frame to how the creator already spends their day on camera. A great frame on the wrong face, or in the wrong setting, won't get posted.

• Style and outfit creators: fashion sunglasses and statement optical frames. They already film get-ready and outfit content.
• Commute and city creators: everyday sunglasses and simple optical frames that show up in walking and transit videos.
• Outdoor and travel creators: polarized sunglasses, if your lens really is polarized.
• Sport creators: sport sunglasses for cyclists and runners, goggles for skiers and snowboarders.
• Gaming and desk creators: computer glasses, with the claim limits in the next section.
• Creators who already wear glasses on camera: your best fit for optical frames. Swapping frames is natural for them, and the product is on their face for the whole video.

Check recent posts, not just the bio. If someone hasn't worn glasses on camera lately, they probably won't start for you. The influencer vetting tool helps you check a creator before you send, and this guide to nano influencers covers smaller accounts that fit tight budgets.

When to send

• Sunglasses: seed in late winter so posts land as the weather turns and spring launches go live. Travel season is a second window.
• Optical and computer glasses: back-to-school and back-to-work season, when people film desk setups and routine resets.
• Ski goggles: before the season opens, so creators have them for their first trips.
• Prescription orders: start earlier than you would for plano. Lens making adds time before the box even ships.

Lens claims creators shouldn't repeat

Creators repeat what your box tells them. If your card overstates a lens, the claim spreads to every post. Keep the card factual and give creators a short 'don't say' list.

• UV400 and UV protection: only say it if your supplier's test documents cover that exact lens. Don't let it grow into 'protects your eyes from everything'.
• Polarized: polarized lenses cut glare. Polarized is not the same as UV protection, so don't let creators use the words as if they mean the same thing.
• Blue-light 'eye protection': see below. This is where claims go wrong most often.
• Safety or impact ratings: don't call fashion frames safety glasses or impact-resistant unless they're certified for it. For goggles, don't promise they prevent injury.

On blue light, the record is clear. In 2015 the UK Advertising Standards Authority ruled against a Boots Opticians ad that said its lenses help 'protect your eyes from harmful blue light, reducing damage to retinal cells'. The ASA said the claims were misleading and had not been substantiated, and told Boots not to claim that blue light causes retinal damage. A 2023 Cochrane review found that blue-light filtering lenses may not reduce eye strain from computer use compared with standard lenses, found the evidence on sleep unclear, and none of its included studies measured macular health. So eye strain, sleep and eye protection claims are all unsupported.

Sell computer glasses on what you can show: the frame, the comfort, the look on a video call. The same logic applies to other regulated claims; see SPF claims to avoid in a sunscreen PR package.

About your lenses: [lens type, e.g. polarized sunglass lens / non-prescription clear lens with blue-light filter].
You can say: what the frame is, how it fits, how it looks, how it feels to wear.
Please don't say: that the lenses protect your eyes from blue light, prevent eye strain, help you sleep, prevent retinal damage, or are safety or impact-rated. [Keep or remove the UV line based on your test documents.]
If you post, please say it was a gift from [brand].

Disclosure for gifted frames

Free product usually has to be disclosed, even when you asked for nothing in return. In the US, start with our guide to the FTC influencer guidelines for gifted products. In the UK, the CMA's guidance for creators treats gifts as a form of payment and says gifted posts must be labeled 'even if there's no obligation for you to do anything with it.'

Prescription glasses are an expensive gift, and a creator wearing them daily may forget they came from you. Ask for disclosure in your first message and on the card, not after the post goes up. Point creators to the platform labels on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, and check posts with the disclosure checker. Other countries are covered in disclosure rules by country.

Measure eyewear posts and follow up

Searching your brand tag will miss most eyewear posts. A creator puts on your sunglasses for a beach clip and says nothing. To count that post, someone has to watch the video and recognize the frame on the face. Some posts name you out loud without tagging, so listening matters too.

For each post you find, record whether it disclosed the gift, then track views, likes and comments over a fixed window so posts are comparable. The first 30 days is a sensible window. Turn reach into a dollar estimate with the EMV calculator (see what EMV means), and compare creators with the engagement rate calculator. A tracking spreadsheet works for a small list.

When frames arrived but nothing posted

Wait until the frames have arrived and the creator has had time to wear them. Then send one friendly check-in. With eyewear, silence often means a fit problem, so offer an exchange before you ask about posting. More ideas are in what to do when a gifted creator didn't post.

Hi [name], just checking the [frame name] arrived safely. How's the fit? If they sit wrong or you'd prefer another shape, reply and we'll swap them. No pressure to post. If you do, we'd love to see them on, and please mention they were a gift.