Journal Sentinel
August 28, 2011
Annie Ellsworth, 3 years old, pulled off her glasses and issued a declaration: Princesses don't wear glasses.
Her mom, Kristin, saw an opportunity to prove her wrong - and start a business in the process.
The result is Peeps Eyewear LLC, a new Madison company that sells sparkly, pink and purple eyeglass frames in 67 stores in Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana.
Packaged in an organza cinch bag, each frame comes with a soft case and a book Ellsworth wrote about a princess who "gets to" wear glasses. Customers can also buy a dress-up kit, which includes a crown and a satin, sparkly cape like the one Princess Annie wears in the book.
"What I've done is tried to fight fun with fun and create an image of a brave and heroic and curious princess wearing glasses," Ellsworth said.
Ellsworth was trained as a lawyer but drawn to entrepreneurship after taking a class at the Fox Valley Technical College's Venture Center and grappling with her daughter's vision issues. The college's fabrication lab helped her create the first prototype of the frames, said Ellsworth, who has funded the company herself.
Ellsworth founded Peeps about 18 months ago. The company took first place in the business services category for the 2010 Wisconsin Governor's Business Plan Contest.
The frames are sized for 3- to 7-year-olds and don't have a lot of detail on the sides like adult frames, said Jane Kluesner, a supervisor for the five UW Health Optical stores in Madison, Peeps' first retail outlets.
They also have a "really good spring hinge," which means parents don't have to bring their kids in as frequently for adjustments, she said.
"We haven't had anybody return them, and haven't had any breakages or defective product returns - that's huge for children's glasses," Kluesner said.
In addition to selling frames, Ellsworth says Peeps has a two-part mission: To encourage children who need them to wear glasses and to increase awareness about vision issues through a partnership with Prevent Blindness Wisconsin.
The book is a key part of the encouragement. Ellsworth has participated in presentations where Prevent Blindness Wisconsin staffers discuss children's vision health and eye care.
The story tells how a princess found a new, glamorous accessory. "Whirling in her cape and fluttering her lashes, Annie is so excited because she gets to wear … glasses!"
Annie - the character is named after Ellsworth's daughter - also learns how to make friends with a nearsighted dragon by sharing her glasses.
In a commercial world where kids are bombarded by sometimes questionable marketing, Peeps provides something different, said Dan Sullivan, co-owner of Faces Eyewear in Appleton, which sells the company's frames.
"It's a pure message in that, of course, princesses wear glasses," he said.
Peeps frames are made from higher-quality acetate plastic, and they sell for as much as $200. Ellsworth's strategy is to appeal to both the children and their parents.
"You can sell $200 jeans to adults and you can sell $200 frames to adults, but kids need to see some value beyond 'these are just popular with my parents' friends,' " said Paul Jones, a lawyer in the Madison office of Michael Best & Friedrich who has done work for Peeps.
The company has significant potential, Jones said.
"I could easily see that company being sold to someone like Disney or one or two of the high-end designer frame makers," he said.
Peeps is planning a line of boys' frames, and Ellsworth already has the corresponding book written. In it, "Super Steve" is strong and mighty, sees through walls, is fast as lightning - and happily wears his glasses.
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