The power of unboxing videos over consumers

We live in a society driven by images and the constant need to share our latest purchases and experiences on social media. Adding to this is an almost primal sense of anticipation, reminiscent of the excitement we felt as children on Christmas morning, unwrapping gifts. This creates a performance that combines emotional engagement with marketing's call to action. It is on these foundations that unboxing is built. Since the early 2000s, it has become a viral phenomenon, starting on YouTube, primarily showcasing electronics and toys, before moving to next-generation social media platforms for a true product placement experience. The Unboxing Experience, which has solidified as a growing trend over the years, weaves storytelling around packaging content, keeping viewers glued to the screen by leveraging the wow factor. It doesn’t matter whether the contents are from The Row, Prada, or Asos; the experience is universal and democratic. The act of unboxing a package purchased or received as a gift provides a dopamine release fueled by curiosity, transforming unboxing into a cathartic moment. Empathy, audience connection, and authenticity are the key ingredients that hook potential consumers. Social media calls, and companies respond: it becomes essential to invest in promotional strategies, making packaging recognizable with an appealing aesthetic. The line between the box and the product has blurred.

It’s no surprise that the evolution of this trend comes from China: selling products through social media is a lucrative business in the country, even amidst a period of general consumer distrust due to the economic crisis. The competition is fierce to grab the lucky box in blind box livestreaming. Recently going viral on Douyin, the Chinese counterpart of TikTok, these live streams offer buyers the chance to win more prizes at low costs, creating a dynamic akin to gambling. To mitigate the risks of addiction, the Chinese government has issued regulations excluding minors and requiring sellers to disclose winning probabilities. But what exactly is this about? Viewers pay a small sum to buy low-value items hidden in “blind boxes.” The seller opens the boxes live and reveals their contents. Depending on what’s inside, players might receive another box and another chance to win. The pastime results in significant waste, balancing between online shopping TV shows and carnival games—a digital mall capitalizing on the consumer-spectator's boredom, driving them to buy, hoard, and discard, as highlighted in Netflix’s recent documentary, Buy Now. The common denominator for success is the low price of items, typically ranging from 1 to 10 dollars.

«People are looking for alternative ways to engage in consumer economy without a significant impact on their wallets,» said Ivy Yang, an e-commerce analyst and founder of the communication agency Wavelet Strategy, in an interview with the New York Times. «They want something that offers a kind of economic thrill.» This phenomenon, beyond offering a sense of community through interaction, addresses a moment of repressed spending. Although the items in question cost less when bought directly from Taobao, one of China’s largest e-commerce platforms, the experience is not the same. «Buying directly from online stores doesn’t provide the same emotional value,» Xu said. «I feel adrenaline rushing when the streamer opens the bag.» In cases where video creators specializing in blind box sales gain popularity, live views can reach tens of thousands in a single night. The seller’s enthusiasm, cheering a lucky draw, drives the business, while the collective excitement of viewers commenting from behind their screens is the pivot. The business is profitable: one Chinese streamer claimed to earn about 110 dollars per live stream, a figure well above the national average salary.

What happens when lotteries step out of screens and into the real world? Riding the wave of this phenomenon, Milan welcomed Shook this year, the city’s first blind box store, as noted on its Instagram profile. It offers small collectible items with themes ranging from anime to K-pop. Back in July, Pop Mart International Group opened a new space in Milan, marking its first Italian hub. The Chinese giant, specializing in toy sales, not only offers licensed products like action figures from Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Disney, Minions, and Powerpuff Girls, but it has also capitalized over time on “blind boxes,” making diversification through gamification proposals its cornerstone. Plastic figurines inside small cardboard boxes are sold for about 10–15 euros each. Founded in 2010 by Wang Nin as a variety store in Beijing, the company has expanded globally over the past 14 years. Following the success of Shein and Temu, Pop Mart has become the latest Chinese retailer targeting American consumers. Subsequent collaborations with artists and international brands have yielded clear results: revenue in the first half of 2024 reached 642 million dollars, according to Forbes, nearly two-thirds higher than the same period the previous year. According to Eva Zhao, Marketing Director of the Group, Milan serves as a starting point for an Italian expansion, with further openings planned in Bologna, Florence, and Rome in the coming months. Once again, social media not only amplifies trends but also acts as an active competitor, fueling the model around which consumer society revolves. Supply and demand are the main actors in a program of intermittent winnings, with emotional dynamics keeping buyers engaged and motivated to keep shopping in the hope of winning. The ultimate goal is to generate as much profit as possible, with evident costs to our planet.