Shelf Life 065: The Bedazzled Revolution

Published

I watch a lot of PR unboxing videos. I’m fascinated not just by the packaging design, but also by the sheer volume of press kits influencers receive each week. What makes a brand actually stand out and remain memorable in a sea of branded boxes and merch that all look the same?

Earlier this year, Vaseline went viral for a surprisingly simple PR stunt: they sent out jars of their original product but with one twist—the jars were bedazzled. Just a little sparkle was enough to stop the scroll, and that’s the point of these kits, right? To interrupt the algorithm in a way that feels handmade, not mass-manufactured.

Vaseline isn’t the only one leaning into the rhinestone effect. Paris Hilton had a bedazzled Lipton Iced Tea mug. Millie Bobby Brown’s brand, Florence by Mills, featured a glittered perfume bottle. Chomps delivered a crystal-covered box to Kelsea Ballerini. The common thread? April Smith of BedazzleMe Studio, the artist behind much of the recent bling.