Like Airbnb, Birchbox Jumps to TV with First Commercial Digitally-minded startups are taking to TV to raise their profiles and reach new users.
By Nina Zipkin
This week, luxury beauty-subscription service Birchbox rolled out their its first ever television commercial, with the tag line "Open for Beautiful."
The TV spot will begin airing nationally in May -- including in markets like New York, Atlanta and Chicago. True to form for a company whose mission is focused on personalization, on Birchbox's revamped website customers can also shop for the products and looks featured in the ad.
This move marks another step the digital company is taking to continue to raise its profile and grow its business. Earlier this spring, founders Hayley Barna and Katia Beauchamp also revealed plans to open their first physical retail store in New York City.
Related: How Cherishing Mistakes, Being Clueless and Stress Fests Helped Birchbox's Success
But Birchbox isn't the only digitally-minded startup on the rise that's taken to more traditional means of getting the word out. Self-described "community-hospitality company," Airbnb which released its first TV commercial last year, which featured six-second Vine videos in a four-minute spot.
The startup is again taking to the airwaves with its global campaign called "Views," which includes a 60-second spot that will be shown not only online but in movie theaters (AMC Theaters and Regal Cinemas) in the U.S. and U.K. and on JetBlue Airways and Frontier Airlines
Looking to take on HotelTonight, Airbnb also announced the launch of two new features this week, meant to help the spur-of-the-moment travelers looking for immediate accommodations or planning a weekend away. One is a list of places that are immediately available (shown on mobile devices), and the other is for weekend getaways. The services will initially only be available in the Los Angeles and San Francisco markets but will launch in other cities soon.
Related: Business Travelers Take to Airbnb-Style Accommodations
