NEW YORK, July 15, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Birchbox Man, a leading grooming and lifestyle retailer that offers a monthly subscription of personalized samples, is taking customers to another dimension with the launch of an exclusive virtual reality initiative this summer. In partnership with River Studios, the first accelerator for virtual & augmented reality companies, Birchbox Man is debuting original VR content, an app with which to play it, and custom cardboard viewers specially designed by River for Birchbox Man that will be included in every August box.

Four action-packed, 360-degree video experiences capture the thrills of driving a racecar, surfing through the barrel of a wave, motorbiking down a dirt road, and helicoptering over a metropolis. The footage was filmed using TriggarVR cameras specially designed to capture dynamic, live-action 360-degree video in high quality and edited with advanced stitching algorithms to produce truly transportive content.

"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," says 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."

All Birchbox Man subscribers will receive the special viewer kit in their August box, along with an assortment of personalized grooming and lifestyle items. After downloading the new app, "River VR" (available for iOS and Android), they simply slide their smartphone into the viewer and will be fully immersed in the virtual reality experience. They can use the viewer to look up, down, over their shoulder, and in any direction to explore their new world - whether it's on water, land or in the sky.

"We've reached a tipping point where this technology is now on the verge of becoming mainstream among a consumer audience," says Mike Rothenberg, Founder of River Studios and CEO of Rothenberg Ventures. "Birchbox Man was a natural partner for our first retail launch, allowing us to reach its customers directly at their doorsteps."

New subscribers can receive the Virtual Reality box for $20 by visiting birchbox.com/subscribemen and signing up by August 10.

*Press samples are available upon request.

About Birchbox
Launched in 2010, Birchbox is a leading beauty and grooming retailer, offering an efficient, personalized way to discover and shop for new products. Birchbox redefined the online shopping experience by pairing a monthly subscription of deluxe samples - tailored to customers' unique profiles - with inspiring editorial content to create a seamless path to purchase full-size products online. More than 800 best-in-class beauty, grooming and lifestyle brands are available on Birchbox's e-commerce shop. In 2012, Birchbox launched Birchbox Man and expanded internationally, and in 2014, Birchbox opened its first brick-and-mortar store in Soho, New York. Today, Birchbox has 1 million subscribers and operates in six countries, including France, Spain, UK, Belgium and Canada. Birchbox is headquartered in New York City. To learn more, visit www.birchbox.com or follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Snapchat.

About River
River Studios is the world's first full-stack virtual reality studio, from creative development, production and animation to financing, software development, marketing and hardware. It produces and delivers live action and animation both in-house as well as in collaboration with creative talent in the community.

River Studios collaborated with Rothenberg Ventures to create the River accelerator, the world's first VR and AR accelerator program. Headquartered in San Francisco with offices in Los Angeles and New York, River Studios combines the best of technology, entertainment, media and finance.

Visit www.river.co to learn more.

Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150715/236919

SOURCE Birchbox

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