What a haul video is
A haul video is a recording in which a creator shows off a batch of items they recently bought or received, one after another, giving each a quick look, try-on or verdict. Clothing, beauty, homeware and supermarket hauls are the common types. Because several products share the screen, a brand usually sponsors one slot or supplies the whole collection.
An unboxing video focuses on the first moment with a single package. A haul is a roundup: the packaging barely matters, and the value is comparison, with the creator ranking pieces, pairing outfits or flagging what they would send back.
How brands use hauls
Fashion and beauty brands often send a curated box and ask for a dedicated haul of their range, which avoids sitting next to competitors. Retailers and marketplaces prefer mixed hauls, since variety is the point. Agree in writing whether competitor products may appear, and whether the creator may give honest negatives.
Hauls run long organically, often several minutes on YouTube, but paid cutdowns work better at 20 to 40 seconds built around the two strongest items. Ask for each item filmed as a standalone segment so the editor can rebuild the order for ads. The format pairs naturally with influencer gifting campaigns.
Example: an activewear haul brief
Six pieces shipped in two sizes. The creator tries on each, shows fit from front, side and back, does one squat test for the leggings, and names the size worn plus their height. Close with a ranked top three. Each piece gets a separate clip with the item name as a caption.
Deliverables: a full-length organic post, a 30 second paid cut featuring the top two pieces, and raw try-on clips. Creators who already post hauls are easy to spot in the fashion creator directory.
Common mistakes
Sending too many items dilutes every one of them. Past eight or so, viewers stop tracking names and the brand loses recall.
Another mistake is scripting the verdicts. A haul that praises every piece reads like an ad and undercuts the format's main asset, which is the creator's honest ranking. Ask for genuine opinions and decide afterwards which segments go into paid. Disclosure still applies when items were gifted, so check the FTC disclosure rules before anything is posted.
How it's used
For the spring drop, send Mia six pieces and ask for a haul with a ranked top three; we'll cut the top two for ads.
Is the haul dedicated to us or mixed? If mixed, we need to know which brands sit next to ours.