Would you pay $150 for a box of cookies?

Oliver Lee

March 31, 2023

In a moment of madness, we googled “things to buy for $150”. Wireless headphones, a tricycle, 10 copies of Elton John’s Autobiography “ME”. But a box of cookies, to our despair, did not feature on the list.

And yet, every time LA-based cookie brand Last Crumb drops a limited collection of their famous cookies, in a matter of minutes, the product flies out of the door,

So how does this underground brand sell out every single limited collection? Is it the twelve handmade and freshly baked new flavors dropped each month? Surely not, bakeries across the nation can deliver on this promise. Is it luxury for luxury’s sake? Again, you can find overpriced baked goods in any gentrified neighborhood, without the hassle of having to order them online.

Nope, none of the above. Last Crumb’s secret ingredient is their mastery of the unboxing experience.

The Unboxing Experience‍

When the Last Crumb box arrives at your door, time and time again, you are delighted by some of the best packaging design you’ll ever set your chubby little fingers on. From packaging to product, Last Crumb has torn down the stereotype of the child-friendly, caricatured style the confectionary industry has been married to since your grandad couldn't walk (the first time around). Instead, their artwork is editorial. It’s edgy, street-inspired couture. Virgil would be proud.

And throughout the unboxing, the brand’s deep attention to detail focuses on “experience”. Let me talk you through it. A satisfying strip tear opens the couture cover to reveal a monochromatic box. If you’re not dying to already, the box orders you to “open the damn box” but, like, in a hot (totally consensual) way.

And when you do…

3 dividers act as a stand to dramatically present the cookie. It’s offered up to the Gods. The cookies stand there, staring at you majestically. They don’t need you, but you need them. We asked the Last Crumb for comment as to why they haven't added the “halo” sound effect, they told us they're working on it.

You’ve gotten this far, and only a thick frosted plastic envelope stands between you and the cookie now. Written through the steam of this envelope you’ll find Carrie Bradshaw-inspired copy. The cookies are numbered and given playful names such as “Netflix and Crunch” “The Floor is Lava” and “When life gives you lemons”. Each of the twelve cookies is accompanied by a little note telling you all about the story behind cookie.

So even before you’ve tasted the cookie. Several moments have engineered the experience of luxury. Gourmet, from the comfort of your home.

And in the modern age, when treating oneself to such a sense-expanding (and wallet-shrinking) delicatessen. What do you do? Well, since private moments died along with the Blackberry around 2010, you talk about it on social media.

Last Crumb’s secret ingredient is their mastery of the unboxing experience.

Designing Packaging with content in mind‍

With each drop, micro-influencers worldwide flock to TikTok and Instagram to produce branded content. “Taste tests”, “reviews”, “name rankings” and “try this with me” formats make for the creation of interesting and easy-to-consume content. Backed by the brand's name, it's got viral written all over it. Best of all? It’s all non-paid User Generated Content (UGC). Because the unboxing experience is gourmet, aspirational, and aesthetic, micro-influencers buy the product themselves, incentivized by the viral appeal of the brand.

Last Crumb landed at a win-win for the influencer and the brand, that doesn't involve either side begging for mercy.

Our hot take‍

Much like buying luxury. The privilege of selling luxury is earnt, not given. To add zeros to the pricing of your product, there must be a strategic intention and deep thought behind user experience. This depth of design thinking makes for a creative and empathetic process. The Last Crumb absolutely nailed this across multiple points and it spread like wildfire on social media.