Birchbox gets real — with virtual reality

New York - Online beauty and grooming subscription retailer Birchbox is the latest brand to dip into virtual reality.



The retailer’s Birchbox Man division will debut a virtual product in the August box it sends to subscribers. In addition to the monthly assortment of personalized grooming items, subscribers will receive a customized virtual reality viewing kit on which they can watch exclusive original video content. The initiative is being done in partnership with River Studios, described as the first accelerator for virtual and augmented reality companies,



Here’s how it works: After downloading the new app, "River VR" (available for iOS and Android), the subscriber slides their smartphone into the cardboard viewer, which immerses the customer in the virtual reality experience. They can use the viewer to look up, down, over their shoulder, and in any direction to explore the content.



The content is made up of four action-packed, 360-degree video experiences that will allow Birchbox Man customers to simulate driving a racecar, surfing through the barrel of a wave, motorbiking down a dirt road, and helicoptering over a city. The footage was filmed using TriggarVR cameras specially designed to capture dynamic, live-action 360-degree video and edited with advanced stitching algorithms.



"We're committed to bringing a sense of discovery and innovation to our customers, so the opportunity to give them access to a brand-new experience through virtual reality is incredibly exciting," said Brad Lande, general manager of Birchbox Man & Lifestyle. "By tapping River's foothold in this emerging technology, we're able to take our subscribers on quite an adventure with a simple cardboard viewer."