In short: An unboxing video shows what actually arrives and how it feels to open it, and for fashion, beauty and personal care that answers a real buyer question: what will I get? Influencer Hero says unboxing videos are “really effective during product launches or seasonal limited edition drops.” Influee’s guide adds the practical rules: a genuine first opening, the product visible and well lit, a strong first few seconds, and rights settled before filming. The product has to reach the creator first, so plan shipping before you launch.
Why unboxing works
A product photo shows the product. An unboxing shows the whole arrival: the box, the packaging, the first look, the first use. Influee’s guide says the format keeps the product on screen for most of the video, shows features as the creator discovers them instead of listing specs, and answers what a hesitant buyer wants to know, which is what actually arrives at the door. The reveal also gives viewers a reason to keep watching.
Influencer Hero places unboxing near the bottom of the funnel, with testimonials and before-and-after videos, which suits a shopper who is almost ready to buy. It suits products where the packaging or the first impression is part of the product: a fragrance, a skincare set, a gift box, a limited drop, a piece of jewelry.
What a good unboxing contains
Influee breaks a full unboxing into stages: before opening, opening, product shots, after opening and b-roll. Not every campaign needs all of it, but the stages give you a shot list to brief from.
- The sealed box. The outside, the packaging design and the first touch. This part only exists while the box is closed, so it has to be filmed in order.
- The opening. Each item coming out, in the order the buyer would find it.
- Product shots. A clear look at the product from a few angles, with labels and ingredient lists close enough to read.
- The product in use. A first application or a first try-on, followed by the creator’s honest reaction.
- B-roll. Short clips of the product in an everyday setting, useful for editing later.
Influee also stresses the start, citing TikTok data that most of what a viewer remembers about an ad comes from its first six seconds. Show the sealed box and the product early instead of saving everything for the end.
How to brief it
- Ask for a genuine first opening. Influee says a re-taped box can be acted, and some creators pull it off, but the reaction is the part viewers watch closest.
- Keep the product visible and well lit. The guide warns against filming with a window behind the creator, which turns them into a silhouette, and against overhead ceiling lights, which make footage look gray.
- Shoot vertical. Vertical video fits the places an unboxing runs.
- Settle the rights first. Influee says to sort out rights before filming, because going back to renegotiate afterwards is when it gets expensive. See UGC usage rights explained.
- Say what must be named and what must be avoided. The product name, the claims you approve and the ones you do not allow.
Beauty and fashion differ
| Aspect | Beauty and personal care | Fashion and accessories |
|---|---|---|
| Worth opening? | Sets, gift boxes, anything with considered packaging | Jewelry, bags, anything that arrives in a box; a garment in a plain mailer rarely makes a video |
| Key shots | Labels, texture, first application | Fabric and hardware close-ups, first try-on |
| Watch out for | Color accuracy in poor light, results claims | Fit that works for only one body, color shifts indoors |
Influee makes the point about packaging directly: a t-shirt in a poly mailer does not work as an unboxing. If your product ships plain, a first try-on or a fit check will serve you better; see fashion UGC: try-on and fit videos.
Plan the shipping
An unboxing cannot start until the product has arrived, and Influee advises building shipping time into the schedule on top of production time. Decide before you launch whether you send a product, where you can ship it and who pays for delivery. A product you send is a gift, and the FTC’s Endorsement Guides say a free product is a material connection to be disclosed, so write the disclosure rule into the brief. The full process is in how to send products to UGC creators.
On Usicri
On Usicri you choose “I’ll send the product to the creator” in the campaign form, creators who want to film an unboxing write to you through “Ask a question” and you agree on delivery with them directly. Usicri does not handle shipping, and there is no delivery date to manage. When the finished video arrives you watch it, approve it if it fits your brief and pay only for approved videos, with no platform fee on videos approved through December 31 and a platform fee of 15% after that. Creators on Usicri choose your campaign, and you decide which videos to approve. See how it works for brands, or create a free brand account.