Tubi goes after Netflix and Hulu in first marketing campaign

Free ad-supported streaming service Tubi is going after the heavy hitters of subscription streaming in its first out-of-home marketing campaign.

The campaign includes signage, along with CTV, Taxi TV, DOOH, geo-fencing, digital homepage takeovers and digital and social launches in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago and Detroit. The copy includes “Dear Netflix, I had my first freesome last night. Tubi was amazing” and “Dear Hulu, you’re cool and all, but I couldn’t take my eyes off Tubi last night.”

The company said its “tongue-in-cheek campaign” is in response to recent price hikes, and the many soon-to-be-launched streaming services from companies including Disney, Apple, WarnerMedia and NBCUniversal. Tubi suggested that consumers are experiencing subscription fatigue, and said its campaign strategy was based on the fact that millions of people are searching for free versions or alternatives to Netflix.

RELATED: Tubi says it has more than 20M monthly active users

Tubi is one of several free ad-supported streaming services including competitors Pluto TV (which is owned by Viacom), Xumo and the Roku Channel. In June, Tubi announced that it now has more than 20 million monthly active users after record growth throughout the first half of 2019.

Tubi’s new active user figures put it ahead of AVOD competitors like Pluto TV, which recently said it has more than 16 million active users, and Xumo, which had 5.5 million active users at last count.

“Tubi has made remarkable strides in the first half of the year, further demonstrating the vitality of AVOD in an environment fatigued by the amount of subscription video options,” said Farhad Massoudi, CEO of Tubi, in a statement. “Our recent deals this year with NBCUniversal, Lionsgate, Warner Bros., and others resonated very well with our customers, and we’re excited to provide even more premium content this year.”