Unboxing: what’s outside also counts

Unboxing: what’s outside also counts

For the uninitiated, it might seem like unboxing has suddenly and silently taken over the internet. Due to the rise of bloggers and vloggers, shopping ‘haul’ videos and surprise unboxing videos are now a mainstay of the online world. Rajapack reports on this growing trend and its importance to the fmcg packaging market.

What is unboxing?

Unboxing is simply opening something on camera and posting it on the internet. This simple concept has grown exponentially in popularity since the first ever unboxing video was posted on YouTube back in 2006. In the ten years since, unboxing has become big business. The third most viewed YouTube channel belongs to the unboxer ‘FunToyzCollector’.  At the time of writing, a YouTube search for the term ‘unboxing’ returns almost 53 million results; the same search three months ago returned 51 million results. In three months, the number of unboxing videos on the channel has grown by almost 2 million, proving the trend is here to stay. All the latest unboxing facts and figures have been collated by Rajapack in this handy unboxing infographic.

What’s the attraction?

Think back to when you were a child. Remember how fun it was to pick a gift from under the Christmas tree, hold it to your ear and give it a gentle shake? Or who didn’t peel off just a little of the wrapping- just a corner - to try and get an idea of what’s inside? That same temptation, that irresistible curiosity, has made unboxing so popular.

The human ability for empathy, being able to put ourselves in someone else’s shoes plays a big part in their popularity. Psychologist Diana Parkinson describes the trend as, “…totally voyeuristic, there is no material reward, only transitory visual reward. The popularity of unboxing videos is astonishing, and I cannot think of a comparison.”(i)

But, what has all this got to do with packaging?

Popular unboxing vloggers are well known for unboxing luxury goods. In many unboxing videos the packaging is hastily opened and discarded, the prize being the contents of the box, not its wrapping. But when it comes to opening lavishly packaged luxury goods, the packaging is as important as the product.

This is where empathy comes in. When watching these unboxers slowly and carefully make their way through the packaging, the viewer can imagine themselves doing the same. This is why the unboxing of luxury goods is so popular; the premium quality of the packaging adds another layer, so to speak, to the viewers’ experience. As the unboxer releases large satin bows, viewers can feel the fabric in their own hands. The sounds of high-quality packaging materials and the crinkle of tissue paper being unwrapped are all important.

Luxury merchants invest a lot into finding the perfect packaging for their goods, this enhances the whole experience, even if you’re watching it through a screen. There are many subconscious decisions people make when they are considering buying something. These are discussed in Martin Lindstrom’s book, Buyology: How everything we believe about what we buy is wrong. The author argues that packaging is absolutely as important as the product to buyers, and brands should concentrate on making their packaging as appealing as the contents inside.

A popular unboxing vlogger, Chase Aimee, agrees with this conclusion. She thinks that packaging is just as important as the products in unboxing videos. “I think it does matter. If the item is packaged beautifully, then that certainly makes an impact. It adds to the whole experience and builds excitement about the actual product. I’ve had expensive bags delivered in very plain packaging in the past, and it is a little underwhelming! In my opinion, the best packaging is thoughtful, practical and recyclable! If there’s a hint of luxury, then even better.” (ii)

Looking at the stats it’s clear unboxing videos will only grow in popularity, so brands need to pay attention. With unboxing videos directly affecting purchasing decisions, not only are brands making their own versions of these videos, they are beginning to understand the importance of making the whole experience of unboxing entertaining – and that means starting from the outside.