Introduction to Labubu
Regardless of whether you think you are sweet, ugly, or just strange, you probably have heard of the global sensation from the furry dolls – Labubu. The eleven-like creature of the Chinese toy manufacturer Pop Mart is now a viral purchase. And it has no shortage of celebrities: Rihanna, Dua Lipa, Kim Kardashian, and Blackpink’s Lisa. Ordinary people are also obsessed – from Shanghai to London, long queues for the doll have made headlines and sometimes even descended into fights.
What Exactly is Labubu?
It is a question that still bothers many – and even those who know the answer are not quite sure that they can explain the madness. Labubu is both a fictional character and a brand. The word itself means nothing. It is the name of a character in the "The Monsters" Toy series, which was created by artist Kasing Lung born in Hong Kong. The vinyl faces are attached to plush bodies and have a typical look – pointed ears, large eyes, and a mischievous grin that shows exactly nine teeth. A strange but shared internet cannot decide whether it is adorable or bizarre.
The Labubu Universe
According to the official website of his retailer, Labubu is "kind-hearted and always wants to help, but often accidentally reached the opposite". The Labubu dolls have been published in several series of "The Monsters", such as "Big in Energy", "Have a Seat", "Tension Makkaron", and "Fall in Wild". The Labubu brand also has other characters from their universe who inspired their own popular dolls – like the leader of the Zimomo tribe, her friend Tycoco, and her friend Mokoko. Some of these dolls are difficult to distinguish from each other for the inexperienced eye. The connoisseurs would know, but Labubu’s fame has certainly rubbed off, with other copies in the family also flying out of the shelves.
Who Sells Labubu?
A significant part of Pop Mart’s sales were so-called blind boxes – in which customers only found out what they had bought at the opening of the package – for a few years when they were together with Kasing Lung for the rights to Labubu. That was in 2019, almost a decade after the opening of the entrepreneur Wang Ning Pop Mart as a Variety Store, similar to a pound business in Beijing. When the blind boxes became a success, Pop Mart started the first series in 2016 and sold Molly Dolls – childish figures created by the Hong Kong artist Kenny Wong. But it was the Labubu sales that showed the growth of Pop Mart, and in December 2020, it began to sell shares on the Hong Kong Exchange. These shares rose by more than 500% last year.
The Rise of Pop Mart
Pop Mart himself has now become a big retailer. It operates more than 2,000 machines or "roboshops" worldwide. And you can now buy Labubu dolls in physical or virtual shops in more than 30 countries from the United States and Great Britain to Australia and Singapore, although many of them recently held sales due to the overwhelming demand. Almost 40% of the total turnover in 2024 contributed to the outside of the Chinese mainland. In a sign of how popular Labubu has become, Chinese customs officials said this week that they had confiscated more than 70,000 fake dolls in the past few days.
How Did Labubu Go Global?
Before the world discovered Labubu, her fame was limited to China. According to Ashley Dudarenok, founder of the China-oriented research company Chozan, she became a hit when the country emerged from the pandemic at the end of 2022. "Post-Pandemic had the feeling of escaping emotionally in China … and Labubu was a very charming but chaotic character," she says. "It embodied this anti-perfectionism." The Chinese Internet, which is huge and competitive, creates many viral trends that are not global. But this did it, and its popularity quickly spread to the neighboring Southeast Asia.
The Power of Celebrity Endorsements
Labubu’s popularity rose in April 2024 when the K-Pop superstar Lisa, born in Thai, started publishing photos on Instagram with various Labubu dolls. And then other global celebrities converted the dolls into an international phenomenon this year. The singer Rihanna was photographed in February with a Labubu toy. The influencer Kim Kardashian shared her collection of 10 Labubu dolls with their Instagram after April. And in May, the former English football captain Sir David Beckham went on Instagram with a photo of a Labubu that was given by his daughter.
What’s Behind the Labubu Obsession?
Simply put, we don’t know. Like most viral trends, Labubu is difficult to explain – the result of timing, taste, and randomness that the internet is. Beijing is certainly satisfied with the result. The State news agency Xinhua says that Labubu "shows the attraction of Chinese creativity, quality, and culture in a language that the world can understand" and gives everyone the opportunity to see "cool China". Xinhua has other examples that show the "Chinese Cultural IP is Global": The video game Black Myth: Wukong and the hit animation film Nezha.
The Future of Labubu
Some analysts seem to be surprised that Chinese companies – from EV manufacturers and AI developers to retailers – are so successful despite western discomfort about Beijing’s ambitions. "BYD, Deepseek, all of these companies together have a very interesting thing together, including Labubu," Chris Pereira, founder and managing director of the advice company’s imposition, told BBC News. "They are so good that nobody is concerned that they are from China. They cannot ignore them." In the meantime, Labubu continues to collect social media followers, with millions of new owners having their valuable purchase unboxed.
