Ray-Ban
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| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1937 |
| Founder | Lester Belisario |
| Headquarters | , Italy, Formerly Rochester, NY |
| Products | Eyewear and sunglasses |
| Owner | Luxottica Group S.p.A. |
Number of employees | 55000[citation needed] |
| Website | ray-ban.com |
Ray-Ban is an American brand of sunglasses founded in 1937 by Bausch & Lomb.[1] They were introduced for the United States Army Air Corps. In 1999, Bausch & Lomb sold the brand to the Italian Luxottica Group for a reported $640 million.[2]
History
Ray-Bans were first created in 1936. Some years earlier, Lieutenant John A. Macready (an American test pilot) returned from a balloon flight, complained that the sun had permanently damaged his eyes, and contacted Bausch & Lomb asking them to create sunglasses that would provide protection and also look sophisticated.[vague][citation needed] On May 7, 1937, Bausch & Lomb took out the patent, and the Aviator was made available to the public.[citation needed] The prototype, known as Anti-Glare, had a frame weighing 150 grams. They were made of gold-plated metal with green lenses made of mineral glass to filter out infrared and ultraviolet rays. Pilots in the United States Army Air Corps immediately adopted the sunglasses.[citation needed] The army wanted sunglasses that would protect the soldiers' eyes from harmful light while maintaining a stylish look.[citation needed] The Ray-Ban Aviator became a well-known style of sunglasses when General Douglas MacArthur landed on the beach in the Philippines in World War II, and photographers snapped several pictures of him wearing them.[citation needed] Ray-Bans were quickly seen outside the army. They quickly gained popularity through other wars[vague] and even made a debut in the movies.[vague] In 1952, Ray-Ban created another style, the Ray-Ban Wayfarer, this time with plastic frames, which became popular soon after its release.[citation needed] By 1962, Ray-Ban started to create impact-resistant lenses. It was not until ten years later when the United States of America made impact-resistant eye wear mandatory through the FDA regulation.[3] Wayfarer sunglasses were seen on movie stars, TV stars, and musicians.[citation needed] Ray-Ban still remains a top designer[vague] in the sunglasses industry with its constant changes of color, frames, and lenses. (peace)
Celebrity endorsements
1950's and 1960's
The fifties was when Ray-Bans had gained recognition through American pop-culture endorsements for the first time. Kim Novak and Marilyn Monroe wore Wayfarers in public and movies.[citation needed] Audrey Hepburn wore 2140 Wayfarers in the 1961 movie Breakfast at Tiffany's.[4] As the style grew in popularity, celebrities such as James Dean, Bob Dylan, and John F. Kennedy were seen in public and on television and movies wearing Wayfarers.[citation needed]
1980's
As the 1970s lacked public celebrity endorsements for Ray-Ban, the 1980s was the decade of revival for them. In 1982, Ray-Ban signed a deal with a California company[vague] for $50,000 a year in order to have product placement for the brand in movies and television programs.[citation needed]
1990's
The 1990s had no record of new celebrities seen wearing Ray-Ban sunglasses; however, product placement in movies and television continued.[citation needed]
2000 - present
The Wayfarer model reaches the light of British pop culture,[vague] as stars such as Lily Allen, Alexa Chung, and Agyness Deyn are seen wearing them in public or on television.[citation needed]
Ray-Ban's "Never Hide" campaign was launched in March 2007. It consisted of a YouTube series and a film advocating customers to "Never pretend. Never be afraid. Never give up. Never Hide".[5] The campaign also encourages people to live their lives with authenticity and no fear of judgement. Short YouTube videos show musicians and bands such as Slash of Guns N' Roses and Two Door Cinema Club wearing Ray-Ban products and playing live shows.[5]
Publicity
Sales campaigns
In 2007 the company introduced a new campaign that aimed to make the brand more refreshing and compelling, especially toward younger people.[6] Never Hide was its name; and it aimed to express the Ray-Ban ideology: "Sunglasses that place you at the centre of attention beyond trends, transcending time and stongly customising whoever wears them".[6]
Finally, in 2008 Ray-Ban presented Ray-Ban Remasters, a communication program[vague] that consolidated Ray-Ban's strong relationship with music, and its position as a global iconic[vague] brand.[6] Ray-Ban Remasters was a partnership with eight musicians who recorded a song of their choice from the 50's and 60's and remastered these songs exclusively for Ray-Ban. These songs were performed live in a series of three events in North America, China, and Europe.[citation needed]
Celebrity use
Throughout the 50s and 60s the Ray-Ban Wayfarer sunglasses were the choice of various musicians such as Bob Marley to Bob Dylan.[citation needed] Ray-Ban became more popular after the release of the movie Top Gun. The movie generated a 40 percent increase in sales for the Ray-Ban Aviator brand.[7] The 80's garnered great attention to Ray-Ban through movies. John Belushi and Dan Akroyd wore them in The Blues Brothers.[citation needed] From 1982 through 1987 Ray-Ban placed their sunglasses in more than 60 movies and television shows, including Quentin Tarantino films such as the 1992 crime film Reservoir Dogs.[citation needed] Tom Cruise also wore Ray-Ban Wayfarer in Risky Business.[citation needed] Celebrity status continued to expand the popularity of the brand. In the 1980s Ray-Ban sunglasses were seen on celebrities such as Michael Jackson, Elvis Costello, and The Ramones.[citation needed]
Internet advertising
Through virtual reality and online advertising Ray-Ban is now re-connecting with its customer/client base.[vague] Through augmented reality the company can demo products through the "Ray-Ban Virtual Mirror", which bridges the gap between viewing and actually trying the product.[8] Through the virtual mirror the consumer seems to try on actual sunglasses.[8]
In terms of social media outlets, Ray-Ban has a Facebook page as well as a Twitter page.
Lenses
Advanced polycarbonate lenses
Advanced polycarbonate lenses, also referred to as APX lenses, deliver maximum performance for minimum weight.[9] These lenses have been developed to overcome the well known problems polycarbonate lenses encounter in mounting; limiting their use in high quality sophisticated frame designs.[10] The APX lens is constructed by injecting a molding which gives the lens a resistance to stress cracking as well as micro cracking.[10] These lenses pass all high and low energy test required by the ANSI Z87.1-1989 standard[n 1] for occupational eye and face protection.[10]
B-15 XLT lenses
Ray-Ban's B-15 XLT lenses were originally created for the United States Air Force pilots.[citation needed] These lenses are brownish in color, block 100% of all UV rays and allow only 15% of the visible light to pass through them.[citation needed] The B-15 XLT lenses also offer more contrast by cutting down the amount of blue light, as opposed to the G-15 lenses.[citation needed]
G-15 XLT lenses
The G15 XLT lenses have the same properties as the B15 XLT lenses; however, they are composed of green and grey pigments.[citation needed] This lens has a lower contrast lens than the B-15 XLT lens allowing for the colour and brightness of objects to be softer and more natural.[citation needed]
Polarised lenses
Ray-Ban polarised sunglasses have the transmission axis oriented vertically to block reflecting light.[11] Because of these lenses' ability to block the reflecting light, many fishermen and water lovers favour this type of lens. Now that many others who spend time outdoors have discovered the benefits of polarised lenses, interest in these types of sunglasses has soared.[12] These lenses are well known by outdoor enthusiasts such as bikers, joggers, golfers and gardeners looking to eliminate glare. Drivers benefit from these lenses as they reduce the glare from the road as well as the light reflecting from the hood of the car. Polarised lenses are also appropriate for indoor use and can be worn by those who are light-sensitive; including post-cataract surgery patients and those continually exposed to bright light through windows.[12] They may reduce the visibility of images produced by liquid crystal displays (LCDs) found on the dashboards of some cars or in other places such as the digital screens on automatic teller (bank) machines.[12]
Photochromic lenses
Photochromic lenses (or "transitional lenses") are clear while indoor and automatically darken when exposed to sunlight. These lenses allow for full ultraviolet radiation protection. Photochromic lenses are convenient as they reduce the need to switch from prescription sunglasses to indoor prescription glasses. They come in a wide variety of lens materials; whether you prefer polycarbonate lenses, high-index lenses, or regular plastic or glass lenses, you typically will be able to purchase a photochromic version of your preferred lenses.[13] Experts[who?] say the risk for cataracts and other age-related eye problems is associated with a person's lifetime exposure to the sun's UV rays.[13]
Sponsoring
Brawn GP
Brawn GP announced the beginning of its partnership with Ray-Ban. Ray-Ban entered Formula One with the team in July 2004 and the relationship has provided a powerful global platform for promoting the brand’s iconic[vague] identity.[citation needed] In 2009, Executive Vice President of the Luxottica Group, Antonio Miyakawa,[n 2] stated that this would be renewed.[14] The red and white Ray-Ban logo is on the helmet visors of Brawn GP's race drivers Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello.[citation needed]
Ray-Ban Rooms
Ray-Ban commissioned Zone[n 3] to develop a website for Ray-Ban Rooms, their summer music festival sponsorship. Ray-Ban Rooms[n 4] support young musicians and record their sessions for online streaming. Ray-Ban products are advertised within the editorial mix, with many photographs.[citation needed]
Notes
References
- ^ Ray-Ban Website [vague]
- ^ "Company News: Bausch & Lomb Selling Sunglass Business to Luxottica". NY Times. April 29, 1999. Retrieved September 5, 2010.
- ^ "Ray-Ban: The History of the Top Selling Eyewear Brand World Wide" (PDF). Ray-Ban. Retrieved 28 March 2012.
- ^ Page at sunglassesid.com.[dubious – discuss]
- ^ a b "Ray-Ban Never Hide Be Bold. Be You". Smart Brief. Retrieved 28 March 2012.[dubious – discuss]
- ^ a b c "Ray-Ban: The History of the Top Selling Eyewear Brand World Wide" (PDF). Retrieved March 28, 2012.[dubious – discuss]
- ^ Stewart, Michael. "When Was the Movie Top Gun Released?". Retrieved March 27, 2012.
- ^ a b O'Brien, Cory. "Ray-Ban Uses Augmented Reality for Their Virtual Mirror". Retrieved March 28, 2012.[dubious – discuss]
- ^ Goldschneider, Dr. "The Latest Information about Eyes and Vision". Retrieved 27 March 2012.[vague][dubious – discuss]
- ^ a b c Chan, Derek. "PPG acquires World's Leading Maker of Nonprescription Sunlenses". Retrieved 27 March 2012.[dubious – discuss]
- ^ Alcoz, J. "Water Reflections". Aflash Photonics. Retrieved 28 March 2012.
- ^ a b c Morgan, Erinn. "Polarised Sunglasses". Access Media Group LLC. Retrieved 28 March 2012.
- ^ a b Heiting, Gary. "Photochromic Lenses: An Overview of Transitions and Other Photochromic Brands". Access Media Group LLC. Retrieved 27 March 2012.
- ^ "Ray-Ban extend sponsor deal with Brawn GP". Durham Associates Group. Retrieved 28 March 2012.