A new marketing campaign by UK opticians Specsavers will embed Skype into online advertisements. 

Since 2007, the optician has run a "Spectacle Wearer of the Year" campaign to promote its brand among glasses-wearers. Entrants are invited to submit photographs of themselves 

This year, Specsavers will be running online ads that, once clicked, allow the user to take a photo of themselves and enter the competition there and then. The ads will have Skype's video-over-IP technology embedded in them. 

"Our strategy was to target environments where users are likely to have camera-enabled devices for the first time, to ensure a low barrier to entry," said Specsavers' digital marketing manager Tim Langlois. "Skype was a no-brainer here as more than half of its users are utilising webcams."

Specsavers worked with Skype-owner Microsoft's advertising division on the campaign.

“This is the first time an advertising campaign in the UK has used Skype’s video capabilities within a creative solution to bring a brand message to life," said James Hayr, head of specialist sales at Microsoft Advertising.