How can brands use the “Advent calendar unboxing season starts early” trend?

Your range, behind 24 doors. 'Day 1 of 24: open one door a day and tell me if it is worth it.' Format: Daily reveal series: one product behind each numbered door, one reaction per day.

Sep 27: social data not in yet

Q: What are people saying about “Advent calendar unboxing season starts early”?

The mood is hype. Most comments say they need one, while a vocal group says it is not worth the money or the products repeat each year.

Advent calendar unboxing season starts early. 13.4M social views Oct 2-8 as creators open and rate 2026 calendars; search for advent calendar confirms it.

63.4Msocial views↑ 211%

1.8Kcreators↑ 26%

+39%Google search growth

The spike

Social and search spiked together on Oct 10.Verified: the top posts on the social peak day were hand-checked and are about this trend.

Social views each day

Google searches each day · “advent calendar”

Why it’s trending

People want a small daily surprise to look forward to, and they check if it is worth the money.

HypeMost comments say they need one, while a vocal group says it is not worth the money or the products repeat each year.

What’s happening

Brands released 2026 advent calendars in early October. On social, people film themselves finding them in stores, unboxing a door at a time and judging whether the price is worth it. Searches for advent calendar confirm the early start.

What content is working

#1Alessandro149.6K5842.8MOct 3$450 YSL calendar unboxingA creator unboxes the $450 YSL 2026 advent calendar and gives an honest review.Why it works: The price is in the first line, so viewers stay to see if it is worth it.#2Allie | Beauty & stuff96.1K7951.1MOct 4$100 Amazon beauty calendarA beauty creator reacts to a $100 Amazon beauty advent calendar.Why it works: A lower price makes viewers ask if this is the one to buy.#3Erin Nicole TV26.9K387458.7KOct 7Dior's $800 calendar, value so farA creator unboxes Dior's $800 holiday advent calendar and counts the value of what is inside so far ($303), asking viewers what they think.Why it works: Adding up the value door by door turns the unboxing into a verdict people want to weigh in on.#4Makeupmaddie21.4K24223.3KOct 8Is Sephora's worth $105?A creator opens the Sephora advent calendar to find out if it is worth $105.Why it works: The 'is it worth it' question is the one every shopper has.#5Paul | Fragrance Influencer20K275197.1KOct 7$1,000 perfume calendarA fragrance creator asks if a $1,000 perfume advent calendar is worth it.Why it works: An extreme price makes people watch for the answer.#6Instagram2.6K2847.6K playsOct 4Dior star calendar drawersHands open the drawers of a cream, star-shaped Dior calendar to find a J'adore bottle, a lipstick and an ornament.Why it works: The luxe packaging makes each drawer feel like a gift.#7Toni9425133.5KOct 7Daily Red Bull can revealA young woman in Disney ears opens day 4 of her calendar to a Red Bull Arctic Berry can and shares her reaction.Why it works: A daily series gives people a reason to come back.#8𐙚Vanessa Marleny621138.3KOct 3Spotting Red Bull at H-E-BA shopper reacts to finding a big shelf of Red Bull advent calendars at $53.97.Why it works: The thrill of finding it in a store feels like a treasure hunt.#9Kimball & Monica | Bay Area Foodies 𓌉◯𓇋357214.5K playsOct 7Matcha calendar tourA woman calls it the cutest advent calendar ever, then shows 12 tea tins, a guide and a tasting journal.Why it works: A niche calendar speaks straight to one fan group.#10maicimoney20412.8KOct 4Walmart Red Bull runA young woman finds the Red Bull calendar at Walmart at $54.97 and carries it out to the car park.Why it works: 'Run to the store' creates urgency and shows where to buy.

Trending hashtags

The tags people used most on posts about this trend, ranked by number of posts. Generic tags like #fyp and #viral are left out.

#adventcalendar 2,202 posts
#sephoraadventcalendar 354 posts
#sephora 388 posts
#christmas 289 posts
#beautyadventcalendar 169 posts
#christmasgiftideas 127 posts
#adventcalendar2026 107 posts
#makeupadventcalendar 102 posts
#halloween 56 posts
#makeup 130 posts

Sentiment

Posts62% positive · 36% neutral · 2% negative

Comments52% positive · 27% neutral · 20% negative

Automatic sentiment labels across 3,217 posts and 400 comments.

The other side · what’s negative

Some grumbling

The criticism is about value: price, minis and repeat products. A few creators say a calendar disappointed them, and some call it a waste of money.

The negative videos

#1sarah lynn7.6K9495.3KOct 7Disappointed by a sample perfume in the Macy's calendar.Creator asks if a calendar was better than the $75 Macy's one; the caption mourns the sample perfume.How it’s made: Creator compares two calendars; the caption laments the sample perfume in the $75 Macy's one.

What brands should do

Lead with what is inside and the real price. Show full-size items and do not rely on minis or samples, which are where people feel let down.

What people are saying in comments

😄

What a fun way to countdown to Christmas!

Joy

🤩

So excited to see the target ones ! I love how affordable some of them are !

Excited

💬

The sets this year are amazing!

Delight

💬

I love how I get to see the whole calendar in one video and not 2 parts

Pleased

💬

Wow I really need this!!!

Hype

💬

Nail dreams yes please

Hype

💬

The Lancme Advent calendar is great

Approval

🤩

Please do the Amazon 25 day of beauty advent calendar

Eager

💬

I bought the Route 66 one for my parents last year. They live in a different state and are in their 80s.

Warmth

💬

I love this! I'd be worried they would all expire before getting to them all though. Would love a smaller version!

Torn

💬

Never understood the point of surprise make up products when the colors are such a personal choice

Doubt

💬

50 Dollars??? OMD im in Europe and here its 16.. (idk in dollars)

Shocked

😞

Not worth the money at all

Disappointed

💬

Such a waste of money lol

Scorn

😞

The $75 one was way better

Disappointed

💬

I think the value is off.

Doubt

💬

Same products every year just different packaging yawn boring

Bored

💬

Its crazy how much they charge for minis that use to be free for the minis back in the days! Now they charge for them and 250 is definitely not worth it

Frustrated

💬

Ew. The art on this calendar is AI. Gross.

Disgust

The content strategy we observed

The top videos lead with a price and ask whether the calendar is worth it.

Opening hook

The price comes first: $450 YSL, $100 Amazon, Dior's $800, Sephora's $105 and a $1,000 perfume calendar. Viewers stay to see if it is worth it.#1 #2 #3 #4 #5

Storytelling

The creator opens the calendar and judges it as they go. The Dior video adds up the value door by door ($303 so far) and asks viewers for their view.#1 #3

Format & length

Single-creator unboxing and reaction videos, one calendar per video, each framed as a review or an 'is it worth it' question.#1 #2 #4 #5

Tone & voice

Curious and a little sceptical: 'honest review', a reaction to a low price, and an 'is it worth it?' question to viewers.#1 #2 #4 #5

Timing

The top videos went up between Oct 3 and Oct 8: all 10 before Google searches peaked on Oct 10. Social views peaked on Oct 10.#1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7 #8 #9 #10

If you make one video

Open one calendar on camera, say the price in the first line, and give a clear verdict on whether it is worth it.

What can brands do?

Best fit: Household care

Your range, behind 24 doors

“'Day 1 of 24: open one door a day and tell me if it is worth it.'”

Format: Daily reveal series: one product behind each numbered door, one reaction per day
Platform: TikTok and Instagram Reels
Who posts: Everyday creators and the brand's own shoppers
Caption: Day 1 of 24: one small surprise a day. Tell us if it is worth it.
When to post: Now to Dec 1, before the countdown starts
Watch out: Do not hide #ad or gifting; state real prices and contents.

Household CareBaby CareHair CareBeveragesGrooming

More trending now

🇺🇸 · 52.6M viewsAmericans are surprising their boo with a Halloween basket and filming it 🎃🇺🇸 · 98.3M viewsAmericans are gushing over pumpkin patch days and fall photos 🎃🇺🇸 · 164.7M viewsUS home bakers are turning brownies and cookies into spooky treats 🎃🇺🇸 · 102.2M viewsAmericans are going all out decorating their porches and yards for Halloween 🎃🇺🇸 · 29.6M viewsHome cooks are posting a crockpot dinner a day for Crocktober 🍲🇮🇳 · 588.8M viewsBengalis are counting down to Pujo, filming idols and looks 🥹

See every trend →