It’s Tuesday, I’m Nithya Sudhir. I collect words, chase patterns, and write about whatever makes me curious.
Basic Pizza eating 101 to keep the toppings in place. Right?
Turns out, this works because of a theorem called Gaussian curvature.
And that geometry is holding together every box heading to your customer's doorstep.
It’s Tuesday. Let’s get into it.
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What’s Pizza got to do with Packaging?
So, we know that if we hold the slice flat, it bend downwards.
Why? Gravity, course.
When we fold it lengthwise instead, it gives the pizza a curve in one direction. For the slice to droop now, it would have to bend in a second direction and that would force the dough to stretch, compress or crumple.
But the crust resists that second bend, so the slice holds its shape and the toppings stay where they belong.
Corrugated board, or cardboard, uses the same principle.
Manufacturers fold a sheet of paper into waves and glue it between two flat sheets called liners. The waves resist bending, while the liners hold them in place. Together, a few lightweight sheets of paper create a box strong enough to carry everything from skincare to televisions.
That simple structure is now estimated to make up more than 90% of shipping containers.
But rising package theft, privacy concerns and the demand for shareable unboxing experiences are forcing brands to rethink what they do with their packaging:
Should the box announce the brand or conceal the purchase?
Today we’re making the case for both and helping you decide with a quiz!
The Case for Shouting
For a DTC brand, the box is often the first thing a customer physically touches.
Everything before it is a screen: the ad, the store, the checkout and the confirmation email.
The package brings the brand into the customer’s hands.
And that physical moment affects how they remember the purchase.
The peak-end rule tells us that people judge an experience largely by its most memorable moment and how it ends.
In e-commerce, unboxing can become both.
We’ve written more about this in our ‘What makes a gift not end up in the dump?’ edition!
Then there is expectation disconfirmation.
The theory notes that something feels especially satisfying when it is better than expected.
In our case, a surprisingly attractive shipping box can make an ordinary delivery feel like an event.
In fact, research has found that attractive boxes can increase loyalty intentions by making the delivery more enjoyable.
Thirdly, packaging benefits from proximity.
Customers find claims printed on a package more believable than identical claims in an advertisement. Because the message sits beside the product, it feels easier to verify.
Who Gives A Crap turns the box into the punchline
Who Gives A Crap is a DTC toilet paper brand that competes on being impossible to ignore. With bright colors, pun-heavy copy, patterned wrapping paper around every roll, the company backs the joke with a business model that makes the packaging part of the pitch.
The loud branding drives loud advocacy.
The brand pulled 25% of new signups in 2025 through referrals, while organic unboxing content on Instagram and TikTok extended its reach without heavy ad spend.
But a box that gets the customer’s attention can get someone else’s too.
The brand cannot control who sees it.
A video analysis of porch piracy incidents found that 98% of stolen packages were visible from the street, and most thefts targeted medium-sized boxes with visible brand names.
In fact, in the UK, branded sportswear parcels were three times more likely to be stolen than other deliveries because the packaging suggested both value and resale potential.
The Case for Whispering
For some products, visibility is exposure.
We can agree that in most cases things like medication, sexual wellness products, fertility treatments, period care, political merchandise, luxury goods and gifts can all reveal more than the customer intended.
And discretion can directly affect whether people buy.
A 2025 study examined what happened after an online pharmacy introduced free, optional discreet packaging. Purchases increased by a net 20%, while first-party orders increased by 34%.
The effect was strongest for sensitive products, rural customers and people living in households.
Why?
One explanation is impression management.
People do not only consider what a product does. They also consider what owning it might communicate about them.
Researchers have found that anonymously packaged sensitive products feel less embarrassing and are more likely to be purchased.
Discreet packaging also gives customers perceived control.
They decide who learns about the purchase. The neighbour, receptionist or housemate no longer gets that information simply because they saw the box.
Hims builds this privacy into its DTC experience.
The telehealth brand sells treatments for hair loss, sexual health, weight loss and other personal concerns. Most orders arrive in brown corrugated boxes displaying only a small “h.” When those are unavailable, Hims uses plain brown or white mailers.
The customer can recognize the delivery without the package announcing its contents.
But whispering has a price too.
A plain box gives customers less to photograph, remember or share.
78% Of Americans Are Fed Up And Brands Aren’t Listening, Uprinting
The pharmacy study also found that discreet packaging produced smaller, more frequent orders, increasing estimated shipping costs per item by 1.5%.
While privacy removed one kind of friction, it created another.
Should Your Box Shout or Whisper?
To help you figure out which one your box needs, take our two-minute quiz.
Choose A or B for each question.
What does the delivery reveal?
A: Something customers happily display.
B: Something they may not want to explain.
What does the logo signal?
A: A low-value or hard-to-identify product.
B: An expensive, desirable or easily resold product.
Where does the package wait?
A: A private doorstep, secure locker or customer’s hands.
B: A lobby, mailroom or publicly visible porch.
Does unboxing help acquire customers?
A: Customers photograph, share and recommend it.
B: Privacy or convenience matters more than presentation.
How often does it arrive?
A: Occasionally, as a treat, gift or discovery.
B: Frequently, as a routine replenishment.
What do customers expect?
A: BarkBox-level personality and surprise.
B: Hims-level discretion and control.
Which failure would cost more?
A: Losing a physical brand impression.
B: Theft, embarrassment or a broken privacy promise.
Mostly A? Let the box Shout.
Mostly B? Let it Whisper.
A close split? Try the packaging mullet.
Use a neutral exterior and build the brand experience inside.
One exception: if the package reveals sensitive information, or combines high resale value with an exposed delivery location, Whisper wins regardless of the score.
💡 So, what did you decide your box should do?
Shout: Brand it from the outside
Whisper: Keep the entire delivery discreet
Both: Plain outside, party inside
Let the customer choose at checkout
What do you do with your packaging?
Hit reply!
That’s all for today!
How's the depth of today's edition?
As always, hit reply if something in here hits home.
See you next week,
Nithya
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