OUTSIDE THE BOX
Members of the YouTube Channel FamilyFunUK unbox a Thunderbird 2 vehicle and Mini Thunderbird 4
Apple fans are a virtual cult around their brand and the ritual of unwrapping packaging is a brand focal point that is shared with millions around the world. But they are not alone. Fans of Mattel’s Hot Wheels and Barbie brands share and view unboxing videos in large numbers. The same goes for the fans of Marvel’s Superheroes, Hasbro’s My Little Pony and Nerf Rebelle brands and a large number of Disney properties. When brands inspire ritual behavior and huge followings like this, it’s truly significant. In order for this to happen, package design can’t be an afterthought. It has to be a major consideration and it has to be developed from a strategic point of view, preferably at the same time that products are being developed. If a package refresh is needed for an existing product, then thought has to be given as to how to engage its target audience by creating a captivating experience in the unwrapping process for consumers. When the pleasure of peeling back layers of packaging is shared within a community as an event, something great has been achieved for that brand, and goes to the heart of customer experience. Each aspect of interaction should reinforce the brand and provide value, including opening and ongoing interaction with packaging for some kinds of products. Attention should be paid to package design, structure and architecture, to unique substrates that invite touch, and to powerful
graphics and visuals all leveraged to fit the unique personality of the brand. Everything about packaging should pleasure the senses. PACKAGING AS THEATER We all love something shiny and new— something that promises enjoyment. It might come as no surprise that one of the most viewed YouTube unboxing channels belongs to an anonymous woman dubbed DisneyCollectorBR. Only her hands are depicted as she unboxes Disney toys and her ad revenues totaled $4.9 million last year. According to Yahoo Finance, “YouTube allows certain content creators to monetize their videos through their ‘YouTube Partner Program,’ which means ads will play before or around a video, and the content creator will be paid through an AdSense account.” According to HelloGiggles blog, “She (the DisneyCollectorBR unboxing maven) uploads about one video per day, and her highest performing video (more than 178 million views) involved her opening a box of Frozen-themed Play-Doh.” I’m sure that did wonders for Hasbro’s Play-Doh sales! In our own consultancy, we see packaging as theater because we specialize in package design and licensing program design for the toy and entertainment industries, which invite fanciful, humorous, and theatrical brand packaging. And it’s obvious to us that brand leaders in different categories do the
same. Delivering all the enjoyment and values associated with brands into fans’ hands sets the stage for enduring relationships. Research proves that the content that is most shared by fans involves enjoyment, humor, and fantasy, so leveraging those aspects of a brand creates an immediate connection and an emotive response, which in turn leads to deep relationships. Perfect case in point: the licensed product packaging program that we created for ITV Studios’ Thunderbirds Are Go brings all of the cues forward that fans of the animated series enjoy most. The brand’s own YouTube channel features great entertainment fare depicting the five Tracy brothers, their mysterious Tracy Island home, and their various craft that are standing ready to save mankind from danger. Unboxing and reviews appear on the Thunderbirds Are Go channel, and there are also fan-generated videos populating YouTube as they interact with the toys and toy packaging. There’s deep enjoyment here of a kind that engages consumers of all ages, from those who remember and enjoyed the brand in their youth to a whole new generation of budding fans, as evidenced by those who are doing the unboxing. More importantly, this brand packaging will be a significant contributor to the development of a new cult following for the brand itself. We witness this time and again when fans upload unboxing videos for products featuring brand packaging and licensed consumer product packaging that we have helped create. It is as much fun for us as it is for them. But behind all of this enjoyment is the conviction that package design that is visually appealing and is easy to open helps create superstars of the brands and products they represent. » Ted Mininni is president and creative director at Design Force Inc., a package and licensing program design consultancy to the consumer product and entertainment industries. The goal of Design Force is to establish strong emotional connections with consumers and create powerful visual brand experiences that engage, excite, entertain, inspire, and influence consumers’ decision to buy. Mininni can be reached at 856-810-2277. Visit www.designforceinc.com for more information.
TOYBOOK.COM | september/october 2016 | THE TOY BOOK 109