Content formats
Unboxing: definition and examples
What is Unboxing?
An unboxing video is a format in which a creator films themselves opening a packaged product on camera, walking viewers through the packaging, contents, and first impressions in real time. The appeal is the creator's genuine, unscripted reaction to seeing and handling the product for the first time.
When you'd use it
- 1When a new product ships for the first time and packaging is part of the brand experience.
- 2When a creator or customer receives a PR package and records their genuine first reaction.
- 3When the product has physical details, textures, or components that benefit from being shown in real time.
- 4When anticipation around a launch has built up and a reveal moment can extend that momentum.
Example
A tech creator on YouTube Shorts filmed an unboxing of a mechanical keyboard where she kept the camera tight on her hands during the opening, said nothing for the first six seconds, then reacted audibly to the sound of the packaging. The video held a 74% completion rate across 1.1 million views, with the top comment being a timestamp request for the 'first type test.'
Use cases
- 1Recording a creator pulling items from branded packaging and describing what they see and feel.
- 2Capturing a first-time customer's real reaction to a premium product arriving at their door.
- 3Revealing limited-edition packaging details that would be missed in a standard product photo.
Make on-brand short-form video from the footage you already have.