'Unboxing' Is So Hot Right Now
Fun fact: Unboxing, or unboxing videos to be more clear, is nothing new. I figured the phenomenon was a couple of years old, but nope, I was wrong.
When googling “trend of unboxing videos” I came across this article, “Unboxing Videos: The Latest Internet Trend That I’m Behind On” from Information Week, dated Dec. 12, 2006.
You read that right … 2006. People have been filming themselves unboxing products for a decade, and it’s not getting old. Originally started with the filming of opening packages of hot new tech and gadgets (such as a PS3 unboxing video that gained over 71,000 views between Nov. 11, 2006 and Dec. 7, 2006), it still goes strong in the tech community.
Seriously, check out the awesome UNBOXED video series from fellow editor/vlogger Rob Stott, including the one below that gets major Sass Marketing points for featuring a little “Say Anything.”
And beyond unboxing hot new tech, the trend has expanded to include everything from makeup subscription boxes to children’s toys.
Above is the very typical Birchbox vs. Ipsy-style unboxing, and below is … well … a really weird kid’s toy unboxing.
What … what did I just watch? Okay, shake it off.
From Mental Floss:
… before you dismiss this phenomenon as just another weird trend indicative of our digital obsessions, consider this: unboxing videos routinely take a few of the top 10 spots on most-viewed YouTube watchlists, among the music videos from international superstars and the latest viral prank. There’s clearly something alluring about this unwrapping-by-proxy for millions of people.
And now … now Burger King has jumped into the unboxing ring with a very special guest: Chester Cheetah:
Marketers, what does this all mean for you? Well, if you market a product that is pretty exciting and comes in potentially cool packaging (something that’s often discussed in unboxing videos), then you might want to look into finding some influencers you can partner with.
According to this article from Google, unboxing videos gained 57 percent more views in 2014 over 2013, and uploads increased 50 percent.
More importantly, a larger number of unboxing viewers use the videos to make product-buying decisions. So, while you don’t need to get hooked up with a talking cheetah, you definitely don’t want to ignore this trend which has some serious legs to it.
