The Takeaway
Kimyon’s International, a natural hair-care and skincare brand sold online and at Macy’s, used a hair-billboard program alongside its digital ads to build name recognition near its retail locations. Placements in Charlotte and Atlanta delivered 9,047 blips and 40,502 estimated impressions at $0.02 per blip. Dr. Joy K. Alston reports a 252% lift in total sales since the campaigns began.
Why Kimyon’s International Turned to Billboard Advertising
Kimyon’s International is a natural hair-care line that has expanded into skincare. Products sell online, through the brand’s app, and in retail through Macy’s and Happy Kat Candles and Gifts. Founder Dr. Joy K. Alston wanted to grow name recognition, lift site and store visits, and boost product sales.
The team was already investing in Facebook and Instagram ads. What was missing was a channel that drove recognition beyond social feeds, especially near retail locations where customers could actually shop. A well-placed board next to the store gave shoppers a reason to look for the brand on the shelf.
How Kimyon’s International Built Its Campaign
Dr. Alston concentrated placements around two retail markets and paired the boards with the brand’s existing paid social.
- Boards selected: 41 boards in and around Charlotte and 36 boards in and around Atlanta, near Macy’s Lenox Square Mall and the retail partners the brand already worked with.
- Creative approach: Product photography with the brand URL and the retail location. One example featured the store name on the hairline.
- Digital pairing: The flights ran alongside ongoing Facebook and Instagram ads, so the same audiences saw the brand across channels.
- Budget approach: Pay-per-play at $0.02 per blip, starting small and building to about $10 a day as the program earns its budget.
The Creative
The design led with product photography and retail context. For beauty brands planning similar work, Blip’s billboard design guidelines explain how to translate packaging into driver-readable artwork.
What the Kimyon’s International Campaign Delivered
Dr. Alston reports a 252% lift in total sales since the campaigns began. The brand also started hearing recognition on the ground: shoppers referencing the boards by memory when they encountered the products in Macy’s.
On the delivery side, 77 boards produced 9,047 blips and 40,502 estimated impressions at an average cost of $0.02 per blip. That is the pattern a paired skincare billboard-and-digital ad plan tends to produce for a beauty brand with real retail distribution: the boards drive familiarity, the store visits close the sale, and the online ads keep the conversation going between touchpoints.
I couldn’t have asked for this to come at a better time. As the business grows, Blip allows you to grow, even if you’re small. We started out low, but now we’re up to spending about $10 a day. I love the fact that Blip gives the small business owner the opportunity to operate like a multibillion-dollar company in the marketing arena.
Dr. Joy K. Alston, Founder of Kimyon’s International
Why This Campaign Worked
- Placement near retail: Boards clustered around Macy’s Lenox Square and other partner stores meant the ad and the shelf were part of the same trip.
- Two-market concentration: 77 boards across Charlotte and Atlanta gave the same shoppers repeated exposure.
- Paired with paid social: Facebook and Instagram ads carried the retargeting, so board impressions had somewhere to land.
- Sustainable spend: Starting at a low daily budget and building to $10 a day kept the program running long enough for recognition to take hold.
What Beauty Brand Owners Can Take From This Campaign
Beauty brands with retail distribution can put these ideas to work:
- Cluster around your retail partners: A hair billboard near the store shortens the distance between recognition and purchase.
- Add a skincare billboard alongside the hair one: If your line spans categories, use separate creatives to speak to each shopper occasion.
- Pair every flight with paid social: Retargeting board viewers online is how you close what the board opened.
- Grow spend as you learn: Start at a low daily budget and only increase when the recognition signal shows up.
Run a Beauty Billboard Program Like Kimyon’s International
Cluster your boards around your retail partners, pair each flight with paid social, and grow the spend as recognition earns it.
Frequently Asked Questions About Kimyon’s International Billboard Campaign
How many boards did Kimyon’s International use?
77 digital boards, split between Charlotte (41) and Atlanta (36), near existing retail partners.
What sales lift did Kimyon’s International see?
Total sales have grown 252% since the campaigns began, and shoppers have begun referencing the boards by memory in-store.
How much did the program cost per play?
The average cost per blip was $0.02. Blip prices pay-per-play, so the cost per blip varies by board and market.
What creative works for a hair billboard?
Product photography, the brand URL, and the retail location. A design that lists where to buy tends to lift store visits alongside recognition.
Should a beauty brand run a separate skincare billboard?
If your line spans hair and skincare, running a separate skincare creative alongside the hair one lets each speak to a specific shopper moment.