THE CHALLENGE

In the U.S., 93 million Americans are at risk of vision loss, yet only half visit an eye doctor each year. Eye exams were viewed as elective and easy to postpone, despite sight being people’s most valued sense. The American Optometric Association needed to make eye care feel more urgent and culturally relevant.

THE STRATEGY

The strategy centered on a simple insight: performance is visual, but people rarely recognize it. American culture rewards optimization, especially in sports, where success depends on split-second reactions and precision. We partnered with MLB player Kike Hernández after his real astigmatism diagnosis helped explain a widely discussed slump in performance. Rather than create a traditional endorsement, we used his authentic story to connect eye care to measurable results, allowing sports fans, media, and players to amplify the message organically.

THE EXECUTION

The campaign followed Kike Hernández’s real performance comeback. Using game footage, press coverage, performance stats, and social storytelling, we translated eye health into the context of tracking a 95 MPH fastball. Content launched across Kike’s social channels, AOA platforms, and paid media, while expert optometrist Dr. Emily Benson explained the role of vision in performance. Every touchpoint drove audiences to AOA’s Doctor Locator, turning awareness into action.

THE OUTCOME

The campaign transformed eye care from an overlooked health routine into a high-performance conversation, driving massive cultural reach, meaningful engagement, and measurable action.

• 4.2 billion global impressions
• 4,810% increase in AOA comments
• More than 2 million organic video views
• 344% increase in clicks to AOA’s Doctor Locator
• Kike Hernández improved his batting average by 51% after diagnosis
• 15 additional MLB players booked eye exams following the campaign