There’s been a change in packaging in the past 10 years. Boxes are no longer simply popped; they’re videotaped. Unboxing videos made the act of opening a product into content viewed by millions, and today, luxury brands are creating products for the camera as well as the consumer. So here are the things that a luxury box had to do after the filming.
The Box Is Now Content
Begin at the heart of the shift. What is the shift? It was once a premium product that was opened only once, in private. Now that the opening is posted, recorded, and viewed by strangers.
When it comes to unboxing videos, you can get much more reach than the product in a store. That makes the box into a marketing tool that works post-sale. Brands know this, so their packaging is designed to function in front of the camera, not to preserve the contents.
The box is a container when it:
- Able to reach a large number of people online.
- Buy and keep in the market.
- Converts customers to brand advocates.
The moment you start to think of the box as content, all of your design decisions begin to make sense.
The Reveal Must Be Built
Think about how a nice unboxing makes you feel. It is not a motion; it’s a series of motions, and a filmed box is made to be revealed in steps.
A lid is lifted to reveal one layer, and then another is opened to reveal the product, and each reveal allows the viewer a moment. A staged reveal maintains a video’s interest and makes the product feel special.
A filmed reveal is a process of stages, which:
- Work with one layer at a time.
- Tease them in anticipation.
- Fix the end of the product.
An instant-opening box is not much for the camera. A staged one has a story.
All surfaces must be aesthetically pleasing.
Consider the camera’s perspective. A picture captures all corners, and a movie box should seem thought out from the perspective of the sides, as well as the front.
Each of the four parts of the package (lid, sides, inside, and base) is pictured at some point. The outside is beautiful, but the inside is bare; it doesn’t look appealing when filmed. That’s why high-quality brands pay careful attention to both the inside and the outside of the paper. Film is the ultimate luxury packaging solution, and it shows nothing.
During filming, focus should be paid to:
- Inside, as revealed during the show.
- All sides have camera footage.
- Details of the inside, seen close-up.
The whole box must justify its presence in the picture.
Reads on camera.
Filming has a thing for this. Unlike flat design, texture stands out on video, making it a key element of high-quality packaging.
The soft-touch surface, embossing, or foil adds depth and light, which the camera loves. The textures look expensive on screen and add moments of interest to the video as the light moves. Premium brands rely on texture in part because it beautifully curates and brings richness that a flat box simply cannot provide.
Texture is acting on film because it:
- Knows how to get the light on his camera.
- Provides depth and richness.
- Reads as premium on screen.
Texture serves two purposes, and one of them is that it feels good in the hand, too.
The sound is one of the experiences.
Ponder a pity that is overlooked. If the video has audio, then the sounds a box makes are likewise part of the experience it delivers.
When the lid slides gently, the magnetic closure or the soft tissue rustles, the camera registers it. These little noises make an opening sound thoughtful, tasteful, and pricey, and viewers are aware of them without realizing it.
Music enhances the moment through:
- A fluent motion of the lid.
- A good “magnetic click.
- Low noise, high-quality touch.
A cheap-sounding box undoes an expensive-looking box on video.
The first frame must “grab” you.
Consider video viewing behaviors. The box is essentially a product of what the viewer sees in the first couple of frames and will make or break whether they continue watching.
When someone stops scrolling and gazes, it’s a separate shape, bold color or gorgeous exterior. Luxury packaging for film needs to stand out from the beginning – just like it must on a crowded shelf.
When the box has: the first frame grabs:
- A striking exterior.
- A distinctive shape or color.
- An instant quality sense.
If the box doesn’t catch the first time, then no one will ever see the reveal.
Covering the Dirt on the Way Up
This is the balance that counts. No amount of shooting is worth it if the product doesn’t reach the end of the line in good shape.
A box may be stylish and pretty on camera, and yet still do its job in the shipping process and keep the product safe. The best premium packaging does both: it looks great on screen and keeps the content in perfect shape.
But there are still things to do for real protection.
- Safe fit on the inside.
- Board constructed for the trip.
- Safe landing each time.
A pretty box that doesn’t protect is the worst kind of unboxing video.
Final Thoughts
Luxury packaging is designed to be filmed because the opening is now content and is viewed by far more individuals than ever before, who see the product itself face-to-face. The box has become a marketing tool that does dance on camera.
It is for this reason that premium packaging is designed step by step, seen from all angles, has a texture that shines in films, and even sounds premium. It needs to catch the viewer’s eye at the beginning; otherwise, the reveal won’t be seen. Throughout the process, the box must keep the product safe; if the package is damaged, the entire video is ruined.
Design for both the camera and the customer, and the box gets used twice: as a protection for the camera, and as content that sells for you!
