August is a great time for BYOB, and Birchbox re-drafted the tradition with great flair. Its three-city tour gathered dedicated brand consumers, holding a “Build Your Own Box” to test out Birchbox’s newest, hottest beauty products. The three-day event, spanning across Los Angeles, Atlanta and Chicago hosted a slew of handpicked skincare products. Of course, each makeup selection was a house favorite, and attendees were urged to join the Birchbox pop-up show for intrigue and awesome offers.
A Roof Deck For Promotion
Consumers browsing the assortment of products were greeted with two shipping containers of product. While seemingly overzealous at first, the shipping containers’ mass stock of makeup offered fully sized products and Birchbox sign-up options. Upon cashing out, consumers were granted added bonuses. Complimentary manicures, on-site nail technician care and polish workshops constituted the Birchbox “way of life,” and every attendee was offered full-range treatment.
Nail polish was then available on the event’s roof deck. Lower levels of the pop-up were similarly available for access, yet consumers could access their favorite brands via segmented locations. Plenty of room was available for male attendees, too. A portion of the roof deck hosted a “men’s shop,” where Birchbox’s featured male products were displayed. Each of Birchbox’s essential male categories made it through, including hair, skin, shave and body products.
The experience’s arsenal of gadgets highlighted Birchbox’s finest innovations, including flasks, Bluetooth speakers, mugs and water bottles. A nearby tech cube assisted mobile carriers with a charging station, and attendees were invited to complimentary hair trips, shaves and products throughout the pop-up salon.
A Build-Your-Own Experience
Birchbox’s Build Your Own Box was a high-powered event offering consumers up to five samples for Birchbox creation. Each women’s box was $15, and each packed five samples spanning across skin, hair and sun-care products. Each fragrance option was custom-tailored to attendee taste, ensuring every participant was met with products capable of exemplifying their own style and fragrance preference.
The BYOB experience did come to an end, but its finale was headed by a step-and-repeat photo seminar. Eventgoers were welcomed to snap, trade and post photos on social media, utilizing branded hashtags to win up to $500 in Birchbox credit. The tour’s end garnered select winners for each hashtag, #birchboxmaninmycity and $birchboxinmycity. Of course, Birchbox’s Twitter account was pre-outfitted to handle the load. All social media engagements were enhanced for big crowds—and even bigger visitors.
Thinking Outside the Box
Birchbox’s additional events invited special guest appearances. Each city giveaway hosted signings by the full cast of “Empire.” L.A. Lakers D’Angelo Russel similarly arrived alongside Cynthia Bailey of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta.” Sprinkles Ice Cream attended, as did King of Pops. Each Birchbox purchase opened the doors to awesome meetups, and the brand spared nothing in crafting an exemplary experience.
The brand was incredibly careful about its participation. Each engaged project was hand-picked, and each defined itself with people, products and services. The Birchbox brand is one of excellence, and its business model is a challenging one. Pulling together such a large-scale event activation is notably difficult, but the brand succeeded in crafting a compelling experience. Birchbox garnered over 730 million media hits, amassing a huge audience and gaining mass visibility.
