Unboxing: When Packaging Becomes a Strategic Asset

Unboxing—the act of filming the opening of a product—has become an essential trend on social media platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram. Though seemingly trivial, these videos generate millions of views and directly influence consumer behavior. According to the ZIPDO Education report (May 2025), over half of consumers say they’ve purchased a product after watching an unboxing video, and 84% of viewers report that such videos help them decide whether to buy.

A Powerful Marketing Lever

These videos highlight not just the product itself, but also its packaging—materials, opening mechanisms, layout, and more. Entire viral trends can emerge, prompting thousands of users to seek out the same item.

Many brands have embraced this. Apple has turned iPhone unboxing into a sensory experience, carefully designing the auditory suspense of opening the box. Google packaged its Pixel 4 in a cereal box. Glossier offers pastel-colored, reusable kits. Tesla and Dyson deliver premium packaging designed to be an experience in itself.

An Asset Worth Protecting

With packaging receiving increasing attention, brands must consider how to protect it. Several intellectual property rights may apply:

• 3D trademarks – e.g., Guerlain for its perfume bottles

• Design rights – e.g., L’Oréal for its makeup palettes

• Patents – e.g., Coca-Cola for its innovative delivery bag

• Copyright – e.g., Kusmi Tea or Ladurée for their illustrated tins

Opportunity and Caution

Unboxing helps create a memorable customer experience, reinforcing engagement, loyalty, and even brand awareness. It can also serve as proof of genuine trademark use—or as a launchpad for global recognition.

But the strategy comes with risks: a poor unboxing experience can harm brand image, overly complex packaging can increase costs, and viral success can attract imitation or counterfeiting.

Unboxing is no longer a passing trend. It’s a strategic tool for brand differentiation—provided its codes are understood and its legal protections in place. When well designed and properly secured, it can turn an ordinary purchase into a memorable moment—and a brand into a worldwide phenomenon.

– Julie DREVET, legal interne at Mark & Law