What’s in that box?
Blind Boxes have taken over the internet, with their popularity skyrocketing in the past couple of years. But why do blind boxes actually work?
Blind boxes have been around for longer than we might realize. Starting in Japan in the 1900s, the concept of a blind bag began. They used these blind bags to sell leftover food. But the concept of not knowing what you were going to get was what struck gold.
Later down the line, the concept of blind boxes with toys became more popular in the 1960s. Ever since then, blind boxes have been around. The trend also hit a popular crowd on YouTube in the 2010s, with children's channels making videos of unboxing all the blind boxes to post on their YouTube channels.
More recently, we’ve seen a rise in popularity with TikTok. Just like on YouTube, people post their unboxing videos, and those have blown up on the app.
Another example of these blind box crazes is Labubus. These are elf-like creature dolls that you can open up. These have “taken over the world” and boomed with their popularity. No one really knows why they are so popular, but just like every micro trend, they have gained more traction.
But again, why do these blind boxes work? Humans get a sort of dopamine rush whenever they open boxes or goodie bags in general. It’s the thrill of not knowing what you're going to get next that keeps the trend alive. The desire to get a specific item from the box keeps customers coming back, which keeps the business thriving.
The blind box craze is something that all businesses should look at and learn from, and the surprise will always keep the customers wanting more.
Works Cited
Hicks, Katie. “Brands Are Thinking out of the (Blind) Box.” Marketing Brew, Morning Brew, 26 Aug. 2025, www.marketingbrew.com/stories/2025/08/26/brands-blind-box-strategy-labubu-le-crueset-cava-lol-surprise.
Public Libraries Singapore. “The Blind Box Boom: Why Everyone Is Going Crazy for Mystery Collectibles.” Medium, 27 Feb. 2025, medium.com/publiclibrarysg/the-blind-box-boom-why-everyone-is-going-crazy-for-mystery-collectibles-6eca0298424c.