As the weather becomes colder, a sense of nostalgia taints the air. You can see how individuals become happier and jollier as the holidays approach. This time of the year is when people get to see their loved ones, relax, and unwind. In honor of Chanel No. 5’s 100th anniversary, a limited edition advent calendar was released. While many brands believe that this season is all about giving, Chanel did not.

Every time the holiday’s come around, there are many trends that flood the “For You” pages of TikTokers. One of these trends incorporates the unboxing of advent calendars. Creators will showcase what they receive for the day, and then encourage viewers to come back to see what gift they will get next. Advent calendars are most commonly seen in department stores. They could be filled with chocolates, small toys, jewelry, or anything really. 

One advent calendar that people are particularly focused on is Chanel’s. A great number of people seem to think that they held back on the contents of the calendar. Many millennials and teenagers are currently calling out Chanel for its cheapness. They argue that the price of $825 is a rip-off. It’s funny because you’d never think that Chanel and the word “cheap” would ever be seen in the same sentence. 

The exterior of the package has a very minimalistic and classy aesthetic. The purpose of its surface was to look like the iconic fragrance, Chanel No. 5. There aren’t any complaints about the outside, though- the main issue is the lack of actual products. Customers aren’t happy that they paid over $800 just for stickers, an empty pouch, and a few samples. Even though it could be argued that the contents are listed online, the point of an advent calendar is to be surprised each day. The entire campaign for this product had an immense amount of hype, but it turned out to be a joke. 

After videos on Tiktok started calling Chanel out, many people thought they deactivated their account. The brand claims that their account was never actually active, and refutes allegations of blocking creators that went viral over their disappointment. Elise Harmon was one of the most popular accounts that TikTokers followed to keep up with. Harmon wanted to be optimistic and hoped that there would be better outcomes, but unfortunately, that was not the case. She was led down a road of discontentment.

Chanel’s statement in regards to the calendar was “sorry that this calendar may have disappointed some people,” but that because it is a “unique design” with “original content,” that makes it “a true collector’s item whose value cannot be summed up by the products it contains alone.” From this statement, it’s pretty clear that Chanel isn’t really discouraged by all these people being angry at them. But is this an advent calendar, or a gag-gift for the wealthy?

Sources:

https://www.tiktok.com/@eliseharmon/video/7037488747599924485?is_copy_url=0&is_from_webapp=v1&sender_device=pc&sender_web_id=6937719671946069510

https://www.chanel.com/us/fragrance/p/105997/n5-limited-edition-the-calendar/

https://www.insider.com/chanel-responds-advent-calendar-controversy-2021-12