Your next Amazon box might double as a billboard. The company has started sending boxes featuring advertisements for the new Minions movie — the first non-Amazon ads to appear on the company’s delivery boxes.
The yellow boxes with yellow characters from the Despicable Me franchise started arriving on doorsteps as early as Wednesday last week. There are at least three different ads, each tied to a different box size and starring a single Minions character. The box also has the July 10 release date and a special link to a Minions page on Amazon.
Amazon has previously advertised its Prime services, including streaming music and video, on packaging tape. The company also sells advertising on its Amazon Lockers delivery locations. This is the first ad from an outside company on Amazon boxes. But this isn’t the first time Minions have popped up on products; the $1.5 billion-grossing movie franchise has had its little yellow creatures on Mott’s applesauce, Monopoly boards and, of course, a huge number of toys.
This new revenue stream could be lucrative for Amazon, whose boxes can be seen on doorsteps (and in recycling bins) across the country. However, the ads aren’t likely to draw the same attention as this Minions run if they become commonplace.
People have already been posting their excitement about the new boxes on Twitter, which some say they plan on collecting.
https://twitter.com/sarahbachtold/status/605398413505478656
#MinionsBoxes got my cool stuff in a cool Amazon Minions box…keeping the box. :) pic.twitter.com/Q5scm4dD2T
— Erik Miller (@fballdefense) May 28, 2015
I love a good contest! And Minions of course! ??? #MinionsBoxes @Minions @amazon pic.twitter.com/sIQ78xigJA
— M0IIY R0SE? (@molliyo) May 27, 2015
But this guy isn’t as enthused.
https://twitter.com/catgenetic/status/604531684042633218
We’ve contacted Amazon for more information on its broader plans for third-party advertising on its packaging, and we’ll update this post as we learn more.
