The calendars Advent They have been established as a marketing tool. They have long been secularized and now provide an effective vehicle for brands to bring their products closer to consumers. However, they can also be a point of friction that compromises not only the brand experience, but also its perception.

This is what has happened in the case of Sephora in it american market, where the cosmetic brand offers a special calendar to the members of its Beauty Insiders loyalty program. By being part of this community, consumers receive points – one for every dollar spent – for their purchases that they can redeem for discounts, promotions, gifts or rewards.

On this occasion, Sephora offers an Advent calendar for 2,500 points, but judging by the comments and reviews shared by users, it has not completely met expectations. Videos of calendar unboxing and in which customers express their dissatisfaction with the content.

And despite the high number of points necessary to achieve it, the calendar is made up of simple items, such as scrunchies, hair clips or mirrors. Those who have shared their “reviews” of the calendar indicate that they regret having redeemed their points, and that they feel disappointed for the quality of the items, since they were expecting makeup products.

Content creator Alexandria Ryan, who has more than 472,000 subscribers to her channel, considers this the worst Sephora advent calendar ever. “Is this what Sephora presents to its most loyal customers? Customers who have dedicated time, effort and money to accumulate those points. It’s offensive”, he points out at the end of a video of more than 30 minutes dedicated to the product.

The Advent calendar of Sephora’s Beauty Insiders program has gone viral on social networks, with critical videos on TikTok that have accumulated more than 3.5 million views and hundreds of comments. Some users also point out that some of the calendar boxes came empty and without products. This has led many, in addition to sharing their disappointment, to Claim the return of your points from the brand.

Other Sephora calendars receive praise

All in all, Sephora is finding positive comments regarding its other advent calendars, which are not part of its loyalty program. In Spain, for example, it offers several options that include makeup products, from mascara and masks to toners or creams, and which are available for 37, 50 or 80 euros.

The brand has sent it to several influencers and content creators specialized in beauty, who have shared “unboxing” videos. Marina Rivers is one of them, and her video about the calendar Sephora Favorites It is close to half a million views.

Betting on the Advent calendar is a strategy that more and more brands from different sectors rely on, from Kindergarten with their chocolates, even Lego with their figures. There are also Advent calendars for other products, such as socks, cheese, wine or beer.

However, the Sephora product shows the importance of meeting expectations of consumers, especially those who trust the brand on a recurring basis. Advent calendars have become more sophisticated, and their prices have risen in recent years, so take care of the value-price ratio It is increasingly relevant, not only for sales results, but for the brand.