On Feb. 28, the hugely popular YouTube channel Unbox Therapy "unboxed" a special Coca-Cola cooler. It was sent to the channel by a fan, for a fan. Here, the Coca-Cola Journey Great Britain unboxes the story behind this special delivery.

Unbox Therapy is a YouTube channel headed by Lewis Hilsenteger that features cool gadgets, great unboxings and a wide range of products. But, seeing as the channel has nearly 7.5 million subscribers and 1.2 billion views… you probably already knew that.

In the channel’s recent video ‘A Mysterious Coca-Cola Surprise…’, Lewis unboxed a special house-warming gift from Coca-Cola. Here’s how the box made its way to him.

A Fan Notices a Fan

One of many personalised presents found within the box

Andreea Dumitrascu, senior brand manager, Coca-Cola Western Europe, is a huge fan of Unbox Therapy. While watching the channel’s videos, she noticed that Hilsenteger had a lot of love for Coca-Cola. In fact, in an earlier video featuring an unspillable cup, he even says: “Coca-Cola, hit me up!”

So, Andreea naturally thought, “How can we reach out to a fan of the brand? How could we hit him up? What could we send him?”

Hilsenteger recenly moved into a office, presenting the perfect opportunity for Dumitrascu to send him a suitably cool housewarming gift: a Coca-Cola cooler.

The cooler in all its cool glory

But, she didn’t just leave it at that. The box came complete with personalised Unbox Therapy bottles of Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola glasses and a special Coca-Cola bottle opener straight from Dumitrascu's desk. 

“I thought about sending him a cooler back in September," she explains, "but we only decided on the shape and style last month, to make sure we had something that would fit into his new space.”

The personalised Unbox Therapy bottles… and the box they came in

The cooler is a replica of 1930s/1940s-era unit. Originally, these standalone coolers would have ice or water circulating in them to keep the bottles cool. The one Hilsenteger received was modified to plug into a power outlet and start chilling right away. Perfect for a man who loves his gadgets!  

One Week of Planning, Six Weeks of Waiting

Some of the cooler choices that didn’t quite make the final cut

It wasn’t a simple task to get the box delivered.

After the idea got the internal go ahead, she only had a week to finalize plans on what to deliver and get everything arranged. This meant choosing the perfect cooler, getting the bottles designed and getting them boxed up for delivery.

With Dumitrascu based in London, Hilsenteger in Toronto and the parcel crossing the Atlantic with a stopover in New York, the delivery became a little challenging.

The box was sent from New York to Toronto but was stuck for six weeks at the border where customs wanted to do some unboxing of their own. Thankfully, a project manager working with Dumitrascu was on holiday in Toronto and was able to pick up the package and ensure it shipped to Unbox Therapy safe and sound.

The Reaction Made it All Worth While

Hilsenteger posted a photo on social media on Feb. 25, with the cooler in clear view. Dumitrascu finally knewthe gift had found its way, and on Feb. 28, she finally got to watch the unboxing.

“I couldn’t sleep! It was so exciting," she recalls. "It’s a channel I watch, and I personally picked out the objects. His reaction was so genuine... it was the best, honestly. It’s a little thing, but you feel such a sense of accomplishment.”

The cooler was the perfect way for one fan to say thanks to another, and the unboxing brought joy to both.

Watch the Unboxed Therapy video here: