Alcon launches digital campaign to reintroduce LASIK to Gen Z

A modern awareness push

According to a new announcement, Alcon has launched a co-marketing initiative aimed at increasing LASIK awareness and consideration among Gen Z and Millennial consumers, most of whom continue to wear glasses despite advances in refractive technology.¹ The digital-first effort spans YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram, pairing social creators with targeted media and immersive storytelling.¹ The program launched in June 2026 and will expand into broader paid media and additional channels in 2027.¹

Optometrists and ophthalmologists remain the first point of contact for patients weighing refractive surgery, making campaigns like this one directly relevant to chairside conversations and referral pathways.¹˒² Clinicians may see more patients raising LASIK unprompted as the campaign runs across social platforms frequented by younger consumers. The initiative is built on a co-marketing model designed to work alongside the existing LASIK surgeon community rather than bypass it, positioning surgeons as the intended destination for patients who engage with the content.¹

Closing an education gap

Alcon's announcement frames the effort as a response to persistent awareness gaps and outdated perceptions of LASIK, despite decades of clinical use and published outcomes data.¹ Vance Thompson, MD, founder of Vance Thompson Vision and past president of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, said many people still base their view of LASIK on outdated information, even as diagnostic and treatment technology have advanced.¹ Thompson added that improved education and awareness can help more patients understand the potential to reduce dependence on glasses and make informed decisions about their vision.¹

The campaign features creators sharing personal LASIK experiences, from pre-procedure considerations through post-surgical life, developed in collaboration with LASIK surgeons to reflect real-world patient experience.¹ A companion website, MyEyesMyRules.com, gives consumers a resource to explore candidacy and next steps ahead of a surgical consult.¹ The site and creator content are intended to work together, giving prospective patients both a narrative entry point and a practical resource before they reach a surgeon's office.¹

The push also mirrors a broader industry pattern, as other refractive surgery brands have similarly shifted marketing dollars toward younger demographics through digital-first, testimonial-driven creative in recent months.³ That trend reflects a recognition across the refractive surgery space that Gen Z and younger Millennial consumers respond less to traditional advertising and more to peer-driven, social-first storytelling.³ Alcon's approach follows that same logic, betting on creators and lived-experience narratives over conventional brand messaging.¹˒³

Sergio Duplan, President of Alcon Americas, said the campaign meets younger audiences on the platforms they already use, with the goal of reigniting interest in LASIK and encouraging more people to have informed conversations with their LASIK surgeon about candidacy.¹ Duplan's comments underscore a specific goal for the campaign: driving conversation volume between prospective patients and surgeons, rather than positioning the content as a replacement for a clinical consult.¹

References:

1. Alcon launches digital-first campaign to reframe LASIK for a new generation. News release. Alcon. June 30, 2026. Accessed July 8, 2026. https://opti-guide.com/alcon-launches-digital-first-campaign-to-reframe-lasik-for-a-new-generation/

2. Hura AS, ed Turbert D. LASIK — Laser Eye Surgery. American Academy of Ophthalmology. January 9, 2026. Accessed July 8, 2026. https://www.aao.org/eye-health/glasses-contacts/lasik

3. Wilson L. Lasik MD focuses on Gen Z in return to mass marketing. Strategy. March 16, 2026. Accessed July 8, 2026. https://strategyonline.ca/2026/03/16/lasik-md-break-up-with-glasses/