8 DAYS

Chanel’s US$825 Advent Calendar Contains Items Like

Stickers & Mini Dustbags — And Netizens Are Not
Pleased About It
Er, at least the packaging looks cute?

[1] Some TikTokers who purchased Chanel’s rst-ever advent calendar got surprises that
they weren’t quite expecting from a luxury collector’s item.

[2] The advent calendar, which retails for $1,150 in Singapore and is reportedly sold out,
is shaped like a ginormous bottle of its best-selling N°5 fragrance, and contains 27 boxes,
“each of which contains a full-size fragrance or makeup product, miniature, or other
surprise”, according to its website. However, some customers took to social media to
express their disappointment that the boxes contained many low value items, albeit those
that are not typically sold in stores, some of which are given out free with purchases.

[3] TikToker Elise Harmon, who bought the advent calendar for US$825 (S$1,125) and did
a series of unboxing videos on TikTok, went viral for her reaction to some of the items,
including stickers, an empty dustbag and string bracelets. Her series of videos have
amassed over 60mil views in total.

[4] “This has to be a joke! Stickers? Stickers?!” she exclaimed when she pulled out a
sheet of Chanel stickers from a box. When she unveils a small dustbag from another box,
she quipped: “I can’t make this up. It’s just a dustbag!” Some YouTubers have pointed out
that it’s a free dustbag that accompanies certain beauty purchases. Of the reportedly one-
of-a-kind snowglobe that she opened, Elise mused: “It looks like it came out of a gumball
machine.”
fi
 8 DAYS
[5] She’s not the only one who has expressed disappointment at the paltry items in the
giant, albeit cute, perfume box. A London-based dentist paid 610 pounds (S$1,103) for it,
and said that he “bought this so that all of the team could keep one of the gifts that we get
every day”. But by the time Dr Alex of Maison Dental, as he’s known on TikTok, got to the
opening the box with the dustbag, he lamented: “I feel perhaps embarrassed also to give
this to one of my staff.”

[6] Some have pointed out that Chanel did list the contents of the box on its website,
which also includes a limited edition Rouge Allure lipstick and a Le Vernis polish in a new
shade of red.

[7] However, other netizens argued that the point of an advent calendar is the surprises
that are in the box.

[8] Elise, who said she’s been blocked by Chanel on socials (the brand denies this claim),
clari ed that she’d bought it in store, as did Dr Alex. Both were unaware of what items
were inside as the description of its contents are not available in physical stores.

[9] “When you’re buying from a brand like Chanel that is coveted and known for quality
and luxury, and you receive something that’s like gumball status and free things that they
had given away months prior, it’s questionable,” said Elise.

[10] Chanel has since responded to the social media backlash and released a statement
to say “sorry that this calendar may have disappointed some people” and that it’s “a true
collector’s item whose value cannot be summed up by the products it contains alone”.

Source:
https://www.8days.sg/seeanddo/whatsbuzzing/chanel-advent-calendar-2021-
viral-15466938
fi