Smashbox Cosmetics takes the virtual reality plunge

Cosmetics brand Smashbox is jumping on the virtual reality trend today, using the format to showcase its back story. The Estée Lauder brand is using 360-degree video to take viewers on a tour of Smashbox Studios, the fashion photography studio in Los Angeles’ Culver City, where it was born.

The famed 25,000-square-foot space has served as the venue for innumerable fashion ad campaign and magazine cover shoots since the studio was founded in 1990. So featuring it in the brand’s digital strategy was a no-brainer, said Ginny Chien, executive director of global digital and consumer marketing at Smashbox.