If, like me, you were a dutiful subscriber of Beauty YouTube in the late 2010’s (#ByeSister), you’ve seen a PR unboxing video. A genre of video content where creators open up PR packages (which in the industry we call ‘mailers’ because, you guessed it, they’re sent via mail), these excessive unboxing videos offer viewers a fleeting taste of luxury and indulgence. And I used to love this content. But times have changed, and I think the industry has too.

Gifting has always been a sound PR strategy with one main goal: get your products into the hands of someone consumers trust, whether that be through institutionalized industries (traditional media) or parasocial relationships (celebrities, influencers). It’s a tried and tested strategy and one we’ve come to expect from brands.

The popularity of social media, and the now seemingly endless list of influencers who make their living online, has meant that brands have to get even more creative and lavish with their gifting to stand out. The Laneige watermelon lip mask mailer that went viral is a great example. The brand constructed a lifesize watermelon out of cardboard, which opens up to reveal the (almost hilariously) small lip mask in its center. Attention grabbing? Yes. Wasteful? Also yes. 

And the public sounded off in the comments:

“Another way to litter 💕” 

“All that box for only that? I thought there was more 😭”

“Wow that’s big waste.”

“I see that you actually don’t care about the planet. Amazing” 

Yikes. Looks like I wasn’t the only one raising my eyebrows at Laneige. 

So what happened where we no longer relish hour-long unboxing videos and watching creators go through piles of free stuff? I think that in an age of serious eco-anxiety, coupled with a growing distaste for overconsumption and consumerism, the same audiences that used to eat up PR unboxing videos (like me) are becoming turned off by the entire practice. My FYP has been filled recently with underconsumption core videos, and honestly, that’s more relatable now to me than unboxing seven packages of luxury makeup and skincare. Not only is that indulgence unrelatable in a time where the affordability crisis is super high, it just feels a bit icky. 

But all is not lost when it comes to PR mailers. Creators still want to receive PR, it’s just the way they receive it that might be shifting. And there’s ways to reduce waste in the industry while keeping consumers and creators happy:

• Reach out and confirm interest from creators. Not every influencer wants every item from your brand, and the less stuff that’s out in the world getting no use, the better.
• Send reusable items as packaging. I’ve seen an uptick recently in coolers, mini fridges, and bags being sent out by brands, but it’s worth exploring other options that might be better for the environment as well.
• Ask creators to donate unused items. Send creators boxes with shipping labels already created for local charities, donation spots, and shelters. This way creators can send items to places where they’ll actually be used, rather than letting them collect dust in their homes.

It feels like the tide might be changing when it comes to PR mailers, but that only means that we’ll have to get more creative and more intentional as we move forward, which to me presents an exciting challenge and opportunity.