• by Wayne Friedman , November 11, 2013

Just a couple of months after hiring its first chief marketing officer, Roku, the streaming Internet-to-TV device company, has launched its first video commercial for the holiday season.

Pushing the idea of "self-gifting," Roku in a TV spot introduces viewers to Moxkat Grvida, a 50-something Ukrainian man, who loves Roku and explains in his rural Ukrainian surroundings why having a Roku device is the best way to watch TV. Better still, he says, is for one to buy a streaming video device for oneself and then say it came from Moxhat Grvida.

The video ad -- with an ending tagline, “Now This is TV” -- will play in movie theaters and digital video destinations. Roku did not disclose whether the video ad will makes its way to traditional television. The new creative comes from agency Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners.

Roku Chief Marketing Officer Matthew Anderson says in a release: “The most important question when buying a streaming player is ‘What can I watch?’ and this campaign highlights the superior selection of movies and entertainment available only on Roku.”

Back in August, Roku hired Anderson as its first chief marketing officer. He has held top senior executive positions at News Corp., working in the TV arena for what is now 21st Century Fox. Before that he held posts at British Sky Broadcasting and at Ogilvy PR’s Asian and European networks.

Roku has access to more than 800 channels, including Time Warner Cable, HBO Go and Netflix. In the U.S., Roku has sold more than five million players.