These days, marketing is what it’s all about. A decent product that reaches the widest audience gets the most sales. Still, while we are producing more marketing material than ever before, we do need to put in some extra effort to make the marketing campaign a success.
Marketers tend to crowd the market with ads that resemble each other in both style and approach. This has led to a focus on uniqueness and originality in the marketing world lately.
With such a crowded market, brands are turning to packaging to set themselves apart. From promoting brand awareness through custom packaging to advertising directly onto shipping boxes, brands are truly getting creative.
Let’s discuss a few very unique approaches to advertising by utilizing shipping boxes as ad space:
Amazon as the Forerunner
In 2015, Amazon broke out as the first major company to utilize their shipping boxes as ad space for a brand that is not related to the product being delivered.
Universal Pictures “Minions” Campaign
Their first shipping box ad campaign was created in collaboration with Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment to promote a movie that was part of the “Despicable Me” movie franchise, “Minions.”
The boxes were very well designed and came in three variations, with three different characters dedicated to different box sizes. Along with the design, the boxes also featured the date that the “Minions” movie was to be released in theaters.
The boxes also featured a unique Amazon URL on them, which led the customers to a page that featured various products that were inspired by the popular Minions characters. Sheets, toys, and figurines were just some of the things that could be found on this page.
The campaign was first teased on Twitter and was very well received by fans around the world. Some people even tweeted that they were going to order something just to get a Minion delivery box.
Revlon “The Love Project” Campaign
The second example of a campaign like this one is Amazon’s collaboration with Revlon in 2017. The cosmetics giant commissioned 10,000,000 ad boxes from Amazon to promote their “The Love Project” campaign. The campaign was focused on promoting a positive message of the power of love and diversity of beauty.
Brand Awareness & Shipping Boxes
More and more we’re seeing companies put extra effort into the aesthetics of their shipping boxes. Companies are saying goodbye to standard cardboard folding cartons and welcoming in uniquely shaped, colorful, brand-centered shipping packaging.
Fab Fit Fun
Brands are using their own shipping packaging as a form of brand awareness. For example, one of the most successful subscription packaging companies, Fab Fit Fun, incorporates their brand image into every shipment they send out.
A Fab Fit Fun shipment arrives every three months at subscriber’s front door as a bright, colorful box filled with various skincare, beauty, and wellness products. The box often gives hints to what’s inside, such as an illustration of a woman ice skating for their winter box or colorful sunny aspects for the summer box.
Every Fab Fit Fun shipping box has a different design, just like the products within. Customers appreciate the uniqueness of each package, therefore promoting not only brand awareness but brand loyalty. By putting an extra bit of customization into each package, a company can successfully leverage their brand in a new way.
What Can We Expect in The Future?
We are still in the beginning development stages of this kind of advertisement approach. As we can see in the examples mentioned above, these advertising campaigns have been introduced as a part of a bigger and more digital campaign instead of a traditional “you get what you see” style of printed ads.
If the campaign doesn’t have some depth it won’t get positive results because the box is of secondary interest for the receiver – the primary interest being the contents of the box. This is why it’s crucial to find a way to engage your consumers.
For companies utilizing brand awareness in their shipping boxes, they are engaging customers from the second the package arrives on their doorstep. The uniqueness of the package sets the brand apart and further promotes brand loyalty.
Still, these kinds of campaigns open up interesting targeting opportunities for brands. By using Amazon boxes, for example, you are guaranteed to reach a person that is used to buying things online.
These campaigns could be even more specific, targeting people of interest who have a particular shopping habit – advertising a guitar pedal to a person who just bought a pedal-board, advertising a tie to a person who just bought a suit, etc. Overall, advertisements and brand awareness on shipping boxes are a great way to reach a new audience and grow a loyal one. For help with your next direct mail campaign, reach out to United Graphics today!
