A haul video is a content format in which an influencer presents and reviews a collection of recently purchased or gifted products, typically filmed as a single sitting unboxing and first-impressions session. The term "haul" originates from the idea of bringing home a large purchase - a haul of goods - and sharing the experience with an audience. Haul content is one of the most enduring formats in creator commerce, combining entertainment, discovery, and purchase intent in a single piece of content.
What is a Haul Video?
In a haul video, the creator shows each item individually, shares their first impressions, evaluates quality or value for money, and sometimes demonstrates how to use or style the product. Hauls are most common in fashion, beauty, home decor, tech accessories, and grocery or food categories. They vary in length from short-form TikTok hauls (60 seconds to 3 minutes) to long-form YouTube hauls (10-30 minutes) and Instagram Reels or Stories hauls. The format is inherently product-dense: a single haul may feature 5-20 individual items, giving brands an efficient way to achieve product placement within a single piece of content. Hauls frequently incorporate affiliate links or discount codes in the video description, converting viewer curiosity directly into trackable sales. The informality and conversational tone typical of haul videos makes them feel more like a friend's recommendation than an advertisement, which sustains high audience trust.
Haul Videos in Influencer Marketing
From a brand perspective, haul videos serve multiple strategic objectives simultaneously. Product placement in a haul generates awareness among an audience that is already in a discovery mindset - viewers watch hauls specifically to learn about new products. Unlike dedicated sponsored posts, haul placements can feel more organic when the influencer genuinely purchased or selected the items themselves. Brands seeding products to influencers (gifting) for inclusion in haul videos can achieve significant reach at a relatively low cost compared to bespoke campaign briefs. The format also supports full-funnel measurement: impressions and views capture top-of-funnel reach, affiliate link clicks and discount code redemptions measure mid-funnel engagement, and tracked purchases close the attribution loop. Fashion and beauty brands in particular use haul collaborations as a volume strategy - placing products across a large number of micro-influencers whose haul audiences overlap with the target customer profile.
Haul Video Formats and Platform Differences
The dominant haul platform has shifted over time. YouTube established the long-form haul as a content staple, with creators like Bestdressed and Emma Chamberlain defining the format. TikTok popularised short-form hauls and spawned specific sub-genres such as the "Amazon haul," "Shein haul," and "thrift haul," each with its own search ecosystem and community norms. Instagram Reels hauls tend to be more curated and aesthetically polished. Platform algorithm behavior differs: YouTube hauls benefit from search discoverability (users actively search "best Amazon fashion haul"), while TikTok hauls gain reach through the For You Page recommendation engine. Brands briefing haul content should align format length and style with the platform and the specific creator's established content style to avoid posts that feel forced or inconsistent with the creator's usual output.
