The unboxing phenomenon has brand owners re-thinking storytelling, writes Boxer & Co’s Gwen Blake.
In 2017, there were over 20 million search results on Youtube for the term 'unboxing', which refers to the simple act of taking a new product from its packaging and examining its features, typically when filmed and shared on a social media site.
An unboxing video showing the tiny plastic toys inside Disney-themed Kinder Eggs has attracted more than 35 million views.
And childpreneur Evan of EvanTubeHD now has a staggering five million subscribers to the unboxing channel that he and his father created back in 2011.Posting around three videos each week, unboxing and reviewing toys, the father-son duo is now worth an estimated US$8 million and probably earn around US$4,300 per day from advertising.
The numbers are big enough to take note of.
Using design in a way that encourages an unboxing experience through social media reflects the increase in dialogue between consumers and luxury brands online.
As the trend develops, brands not only have to consider exterior packaging aesthetics, but also the journey of opening the box, and how it appears visually during each step of the process.
