THE 'UNBOXING' IS DEAD. LONG LIVE THE 'STREET TEST'.
Why watching a rich influencer open a free box is boring, and watching a stranger struggle with a product is addictive.
For the last 5 years, the 'Unboxing Video' was the holy grail of UGC.
It followed a predictable script: aesthetic background, ASMR packaging sounds, and a gasp of delight. It was perfect. It was polished.
And that is exactly why it stopped working.
Perfection is Boring
The human brain is wired to ignore predictability. Once you've seen one unboxing, you've seen them all. There is no tension. You know the influencer is going to like it.
Enter the 'Street Test'.
The Element of Chaos
A street test has tension. Will the stranger like it? Will they drop it? Will they guess the price wrong?
We recently ran a test for a luggage brand.
Ad A: Influencer unboxing the suitcase in a hotel room.
Ad B: Us throwing the suitcase down a flight of stairs in front of shocked bystanders.
Ad B had a 400% higher Click-Through Rate. Why? Because it proved durability in the real world, not just aesthetics in a fake one.
Stop unboxing. Start stress-testing.
The Lisn Editorial
Marketing Strategy Team