The Box

The Box that the Tamagotchi comes with can arguably be the initial nostalgic moment for many users. Once they immediately see the box (especially a box that was precisely designed to mimic the one they possessed in the 1990s), nostalgia materializes. Subsequently, the name “Tamagotchi” can have distinct meanings to different users. For example, to Japanese users, pronouncing this device would utter the words “egg” and “watch,” given that “Tamago,” in Japanese, portends the former word and “uotchi” indicates the latter, and to people who speak Japanese, they will understand the meaning.

De-blackbox the device’s box, the gadget itself is illustrated — both the physical device and the printed drawings — which could be seen as memorabilia, i.e., adults watching an advertisement, or seeing a friend holding one, could bring back memories because the device is borne with additional inputs. Such inputs are characterized as the product’s aesthetic features (size, color, and so forth). Also, when marketing commodities, there is usually a written portion to give the user a general perception of the product’s purpose so they know what to expect.

Going deeper into the device’s box and marketing practices, the Tamagotchi box is an informational tool that users can grasp. If adults were to experience a moment by going through a sequence of events as they did when they were children, this can be a prime example of nostalgia.

Figure 1. a box for Tamagotchi Friends (himespetchi).

Figure 2. a box for The Original Tamagotchi (Osumesu21).

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