Brown cardboard containers emblazoned with Amazon's logo litter apartment building lobbies and doorsteps across the U.S., but their dull appearance is about to change.
Amazon has started accepting advertising on its packages. The first branded packages will feature Minions from the new Despicable Me movie.
The latest round of Amazon boxes are bright yellow and feature Minions, characters from the Despicable Me animated movies, as the company has started advertising on its packages.
According to Geekwire, the new boxes started arriving as early as May 27. Recipients have been posting pictures of the bright yellow packages across social media. There are a number of different ads, depending on the size of the package, all of which feature the July 10 release date of the new Minions film and a special link to a Minions page on Amazon.
Amazon boxes have previously run ads for its Prime services on the packaging tape, but never on the boxes themselves and never for a third-party product. The advertising could prove a lucrative new revenue source for the e-commerce company. Such is the proliferation of Amazon packaging, particularly in the U.S., that it could become one of the most sought-after billboard locations in the country.
The Minions are an obvious choice for a first advertising partner. The Despicable Me movies have earned more than $1.5 billion at box offices worldwide and the Minions have been turned into all sorts of merchandise, including board games, video games, figurines, clothing and even bed linens. Of course, the full suite of Minions merchandise is available for purchase at amazon.com/minions, which is emblazoned across the packages.
The special boxes will be shipped from select fulfillment centers up until July 10 and come in three different sizes depending on what merchandise is ordered. Different minions will grace the different sizes of boxes — Stuart is on large boxes, Bob on medium ones and Kevin is on the smallest.
It's unclear whether Amazon plans to continue advertising on its packaging beyond the release of the Minions movie, but given the excitement generated on social media so far, we can expect the trend to continue.
