Y&R Shanghai wins CooperVision China business

The agency will work with CooperVision to launch the CooperVision Masterbrand, as well as its core brands in China, including Biofinity, Proclear, Biomedics, and Avaira.

Charles Sampson, CEO of Y&R China, said that the client does not have an incumbent agency in China, and is making its first big advertising push. CooperVision's contact lens unit established a direct sales presence in China by opening an office in Shanghai since 2007.

CooperVision is one of the world’s largest contact lens manufacturers and is also the No. 1 maker of toric contact lenses for the correction of astigmatism. Key competitors include Johnson & Johnson's Acuvue and Bausch + Lomb.

According to international news reports in November, CooperVision’s Avaira Sphere contact lens initiated a recall of a limited number of Avaira Toric and Avaira Sphere contact lenses after reports of wearers experiencing hazy vision and discomfort. Some patients reported severe eye pain or eye injuries requiring medical treatment.

The recalls happened in seven countries including Australia, Canada, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Spain and the USA. CooperVision has published an international website where consumers can find out whether their packages of Avaira Sphere and Avaira Toric contact lenses are affected by the recall.