November – month advent calendars. Previously, in supermarkets we could find at most three or four options. Usually it is a flat cardboard box with 24 small windowsinside each of them there was a small figurine hidden chocolate. The windows had to be opened daily, from the beginning of December until Christmas Eve, and this was usually the responsibility of the smallest inhabitants of the house. But this concept of an advent calendar is very outdated. Not only the aesthetics and content of chocolate options have changed significantly. There are also advent calendars with all sorts of products, from cosmetics to beer, cheese, scented candles and even sex toys. If supply has increased so much, it is because demand has also increased, mainly because people love the concept of an advent calendar.
These gift boxes, which even serve as home decorations, combine several qualities that can hook us. Intrigue, surprise, order…And of course, reward. WITH psychology in hand, the truth is that they are very well thought out.
If we add to this social media and the knock-on effect that the influencers that brands gift many of these advent calendars has is driving sales success. But before we talk about that, let’s start at the beginning: where did advent calendars come from?
The Origins of Advent Calendars
Term appearance comes from the Latin word Adventuswhat does it mean arrival. Therefore it is used to denote something coming soon. It was originally used to commemorate births. Not necessarily Jesus Christ. However, over time, the word came to refer to the days before Christmas began.
These days were celebrated in different ways depending on time and place, but the closest thing to the Advent calendar began to take shape in the 19th century. Many German evangelical families had a centerpiece of four candles in their homes, which the children lit, one at a time, every Sunday until Christmas arrived. This was known as advent wreath. But this was not the only way to celebrate the arrival of Jesus Christ.
There were other traditions, such as painting in houses. 24 chalk strips, which were erased day after day. Returning to children, in some places it was common to place a feather in the crib of the baby Jesus in Bethlehem every day in December until a figurine could be placed on it on Christmas Eve.
All this was very beautiful, but it did not bring money to anyone. The bakers saw that completing the task periodically before Christmas was very attractive to both children and adults, so they decided to take advantage of the pull of tradition and model it after their own taste. They say that the first was a bookseller from Hamburg named Friedrich Trampler. He wasn’t even a pastry chef. But the resounding success of the first Advent calendars led to them becoming a deeply rooted tradition in the sector in the 20th century.
The psychology of your success
There are several keys to the success of advent calendars. First of all we have surprise.
Although advent calendars often list the contents on the back, ideally it is best not to look at it. Open a window or box every day without knowing what will be inside. This implies daily surprise and therefore one of the keys to his success.
And although not everyone enjoys them equally, in general people we need surprises. They are one of the least understood emotions by scientists, but they are known to trigger a number of brain mechanisms that can provide great pleasure. Essentially, when we are exposed to an unexpected stimulus, our brain sends out a warning indicating that we should invest all our senses into that novelty, for better or worse.
To get our attention, it also activates reward systems mediated by dopamine, a hormone that produces a strong sense of well-being. All this, first of all, paralyzes us. In fact, it is estimated that when faced with the unexpected, we become completely paralyzed for at least 1/25 of a second. But then the brain starts working quickly to understand what’s going on and look for ways to deal with it.
Surprise can be bad, in which case, although there are common mechanisms, the resulting experience will not be pleasure. But with advent calendars, the surprise comes with a reward, so feeling of pleasure.
The magic is in the reward
The content of advent calendars is usually related to pleasure in one way or another. Chocolate, cheese, beer, cosmetics enjoy taking care of yourself… All this gives us a double reward. On the one hand, there is a physical reward in the form of a gift, and on the other, a portion of dopamine released by the brain’s reward systems.
This hormone is released in situations such as sex or eating something high in calories because it makes us want more. Sex is necessary to maintain the species, and eating something very high in calories gives us energy, therefore evolutionarily This is a very necessary phenomenon. Now, it should be noted that reward systems are also associated with addictions. In the case of advent calendars, we won’t be hooked, but we might not be able to open at least one window a day.
Familiar surroundings
Surprises can be very pleasant, but they can also cause anxiety, especially when we know it will, but have no idea where it will go. However, with advent calendars we are in a familiar place, usually at home, and have a rough idea of what the surprise will be. This will make the process more relaxed and, if possible, help you enjoy it more.
Influential People and FOMO
In recent years, influencers and content creators have become very attractive to advent calendar sellers. He shows them to his subscribers, sometimes offering discounts, often in connection with Black Friday, and adds something known as FOMO to everything else. From abbreviation Fear of missing outthis psychological phenomenon refers to the fact of performing certain actions due to the “fear of missing out.”
If your influencer shows a discounted advent calendar and gradually you see a lot of people buying it, more than likely you will want to buy it too. Not because you need it, but because of the fear of being left behind compared to other people.
In short, advent calendars manipulate our minds a little to hook us. But sometimes the gifts are worth it. It’s nice to have some fun. After all, you could say it’s only once a year.
Source: Hiper Textual
