5 Ways to Elevate the Unboxing Experience Through Smart Product Packaging Design

Around 87% of respondents in one study said they were convinced to buy a product after watching a video, so it’s no surprise that the trend of making unboxing videos shows no signs of losing steam.

The latest toy craze, the Labubu, capitalizes on the trend by using the “blind box” technique, helping to push the creation of unboxing videos for the plush doll. Kids (and even adults) hoping for a certain style of Labubu close their eyes as they open the box, pull out the sealed sack, and rip it open to reveal which Labubu is now theirs. Excited delight or a mix of satisfaction and disappointment soon follow.

The blind box technique isn’t new. It’s a concept perfected long ago by American baseball cards and propelled into the land of ecommerce by subscription boxes. Not knowing what you’re getting builds the anticipation of unboxing your purchase. And psychologists say, even when you DO know what you’re getting, the excitement of receiving and unboxing a package and the anticipation of using a new item can trigger a dopamine release in the brain similar to its response to addictive substances.

Additionally, watching unboxing videos allows us to also feel a bit of the same excitement and anticipation as the person in the video, which explains their popularity. By the end of 2022, consumers racked up over 54 million views of tiktok videos marked with the hashtag #unboxing.

So how do you create an unboxing experience that will delight your consumers and encourage them to generate content? Our expert luxury packaging designers say there are few ways you can do this through smart product packaging design.

Elevate the unboxing experience with these packaging design hints:

1. Protect the product and the packaging

There’s nothing that will ruin the experience faster than damaged product, and even damaged packaging itself. Our designers go through extensive testing to ensure the protective packaging they create adequately safeguards the product inside no matter where or how it’s being shipped.

Separators protect outer boxes as items are being shipped in bulk to retailers. When the product is placed in tertiary packaging for shipping directly to consumers, protective packaging is often used to preserve the integrity of the branded product packaging.

Opening the packaging should be easy to do. Also, designing the packaging so it directs the buyer as to how they should open it can also ensure they have the experience you intend them to have.

“By using the design and the graphics, we can let someone know how they should open it without saying, ‘This end up.’” said Dan Davis, Smurfit Westrock packaging design director. “It’s usually not crazy graphics, but simple or one-color, right on the box to let you know to open it from this side.”

Taking things out of the box is also part of the unboxing experience. Davis and team designed a box for a luxury spirits brand that had protective packaging inside the outer box. They gave the top of the protective packaging a handle so that buyers could easily pull it out of the box. This made the unboxing experience less frustrating, as well as ensuring that consumers didn’t have to turn over the box or put pressure on the product to get it out.

2. Create multiple reveals through layering

If you draw out the experience and create multiple reveals, people feel like they’re getting more (and they are). If you have multiple products, you can use paperboard inserts or tissue paper to separate products inside the box, making sure people see one at a time.

This method of layering gives the effect of multiple reveals and directs the order in which someone will open the products. You can even place a personalized note, card with discount code, or branded sticker above the first layer. Beauty brand Borghese creates an initial reveal with tissue paper and then more small reveals with some individually wrapped items.

You can also create a more layered experience by going beyond the unboxing and thinking about the entire customer experience in layers.

“There’s that first moment of truth, which is when you're walking down the aisle and spot the product. What do you see?” said Selwyn Sherrill, creative resource director at Smurfit Westrock. “The second moment of truth is once you pick up that package. How does it feel in your hand? And then when you bring it home, how does it function? The visuals and the functionality are both critical, but at different points in that packaging life cycle.”

3. Focus on subtle details in your packaging

Branding and messaging outside the box can help build anticipation of what’s inside. It can be as simple as a logo or a shipping box in a certain color.

Also, using all the “faces” and pieces of the packaging extends the branding and makes the packaging feel more “special.” Beauty brand Glossier added a branded logo to the inside of its box lid. It’s a subtle touch that immediately makes the experience more elevated. The same can be done with protective packaging inside the box.

Some brands are helping consumers feel more special with simple personalized notes inside the packaging. Small details like certificates of authenticity with a sequential number or other similar elements can create a limited-edition feel. One product that excels in this area is box sets for music lovers and entertainment fans. Neil Young unboxed his own box set to show off the photo book and other extras included with the pack of CDs. 

“In entertainment, the content can be distributed in a multitude of ways, including digital,” said Davis. “So, it's those material extras that fans are looking for, because they may not have the branded guitar pick or a copy of the original script, for example.”

4. Give them something unexpected

The best way to get your consumers talking and sharing is by surprising them. Surprise extras like free samples or discount codes always help purchasers feel like they’re getting more. Additionally, Davis said right now a popular trend in creating surprise is by using pop-up effects, especially with entertainment packaging.

If you’re a brand that doesn’t want to tip off porch pirates with branding and graphics on the outside of your packaging, you can also cover the inside with branding or graphics. High-impact graphic liners allow you to print vivid, high-quality images on a liner that covers the entire inside of your box. Imagine a brand that sells outdoors equipment adding a picturesque mountain scene inside their boxes; seasonal, holiday or birthday messages surprising customers as they open the box; or even graphics that look like they’re interacting with the product inside. The possibilities to create something unexpected and experiential are endless!

Playing off the senses with a surprise scent or unusual texture can also set you apart from the competition. “With unboxing, the first thing you're going to do is feel it,” said Mark Campbell, Smurfit Westrock senior design project manager. “A design we created for a luxury spirits brand had a leather look and feel to it with a nice, soft touch. Someone that made a product video wouldn't stop talking about the box. He's supposed to be talking about the liquor, and he just kept on going on about this big box that felt amazing and expensive when he touched it.”

5. Give them more of what they love about the brand

If people love your brand, then extending the brand experience will give them more of what they like, providing an exceptional unboxing experience and priming them for repeat purchases. Inart did this well with its premium Batman action figure. Not only does the packaging create a layered experience, but in addition to the weapons and utilities that can be added to the figure, the package includes action-figure-sized cards with messages from the Joker similar to the ones seen in the movie.

Anime series Code Geass gave fans a puzzle box containing all three seasons of the series along with extras including a full chess set. Smurfit Westrock designers created the piece to be kept by fans.

“It was made so someone could take everything out and use it for their own stuff,” said Davis. “There are three seasons of the show, so there are three different slipcases in the drawers that flip out. If you want to take out the Blu-ray discs, you could then use the drawers for you own jewelry or something.”

It’s all about emotional packaging

Overall, the more you can use packaging to create emotions, the more connected your consumer will be with your product and brand. When thinking about your target audience, try to figure out what excites them, what they find interesting, or what they find important.

“Anybody can make and sell a product; not everybody can sell an effective or lasting experience,” said Eric O’Malley, graphic design director at Smurfit Westrock. “That's how to get a successful interchange between the consumer and the consumable, in that lasting sense of experience and emotional connection.”