This page covers one thing: seeding kits and press packaging alongside retail. For the wider view, read lip packaging across California.
Two packs for one product
Product launches run out of Los Angeles are frequently built around seeding: a few hundred units sent to creators, press and stylists ahead of general availability, packaged specifically to be opened in front of a camera.
That is a genuinely different brief from the retail pack. It is not competing on a shelf, it does not need a barcode, and its job is to be interesting for the ninety seconds someone films opening it. Retail packaging optimised for unit cost rarely does that well.
The efficient approach is to treat them as two products from the start: a retail carton at volume, and a seeding pack at a few hundred, using the same brand elements but a different construction.
What each pack has to do
Same product, different jobs, different specifications.
| Option | Seeding or press pack | Retail carton |
|---|---|---|
| Quantity | A few hundred | Thousands upward |
| Construction | Rigid or sleeve and tray, for the opening | Folding carton, for cost and shelf |
| Cost driver | Hand assembly and materials | Print process and board |
| Barcode | Not needed | Required, with clear flat space |
| Interior | Printed, with a card or tissue | Usually plain |
| What it optimises for | The moment it is opened on camera | Cost per unit and shelf visibility |
Rigid construction suits the seeding pack precisely because its setup cost is low relative to unit cost, which makes a run of a few hundred practical.
Packaging that survives being filmed
A pack opened on camera is judged under uncontrolled lighting at close range, which flatters some finishes and destroys others.
Magnetic closures read well because the closing action is audible and visible. Printed interiors and insert cards give the video somewhere to go after the lid opens. Foil and holographic surfaces move as the camera moves.
What works less well: soft-touch lamination photographs as flat grey despite feeling expensive, fine embossing disappears at phone resolution, and high-gloss laminate throws a ring light straight back into the lens. The construction options are set out on our rigid boxes built for press packs.
Common Los Angeles queries
Can you produce a few hundred seeding kits?
Yes. Rigid construction is practical at that quantity because its setup cost is low relative to unit cost, unlike a foiled litho carton which needs volume to make sense. A run of a few hundred press kits is a normal order.
Should the seeding pack match the retail pack?
Share the brand elements, not the construction. They have different jobs: the retail carton optimises for cost and shelf visibility, the seeding pack optimises for the moment it is opened on camera. Treating them as one compromises both.
Which finishes film well?
Magnetic closures, because the action is audible and visible. Printed interiors, which give the video somewhere to go. Foil and holographic surfaces, which move as the camera moves. All read better on video than in a still photograph.
Which finishes film badly?
Soft-touch lamination photographs as flat grey despite feeling expensive in the hand. Fine embossing disappears at phone resolution. High-gloss laminate reflects a ring light straight back into the lens.
Does a seeding pack need a barcode?
No, since it is not sold. That frees a panel that a retail carton has to reserve, which is one of the reasons a seeding pack can carry more design than the retail version of the same product.
Can you ship seeding kits to multiple addresses?
We supply the packaging to your address or your fulfilment partner. Distribution to individual recipients is handled by you or by a PR fulfilment service, which is the usual arrangement for seeding programmes.
How is this different from the California page?
The California page covers shade range economics and packaging a colour line across the state. This page is about the seeding and press packaging that LA launches are specifically built around, which is a separate production run.
Is there anywhere in Los Angeles I can collect an order from?
No, there is no collection point. Orders are made to order and delivered to the Los Angeles address on your quote, so nothing is ever waiting to be picked up.
Lip Boxes has no address, warehouse, collection point or staff in Los Angeles. Packaging is manufactured to order and shipped to Los Angeles addresses through a nationwide carrier service, with delivery cost and lead time confirmed in writing on each quote.
