In the swirling chaos of online trends, it’s rare for a toy to break through the noise and reshape the cultural conversation. But that’s exactly what Labubu has done. This impish, wide-eyed figurine from Pop Mart’s “The Monsters” series has gone from niche collector’s item to viral gold, gripping TikTok, infiltrating high fashion, and commanding thousands of dollars on the resale market.
The Engine of Labubu’s Global Breakout
Labubu first emerged in Asian toy circles, offering a peculiar blend of “ugly-cute” charm that resonated with the emotionally expressive and nostalgia-seeking consumer. Its creator, Pop Mart, leaned into a design philosophy that favored expressive oddity over polished perfection, placing Labubu in elaborate costumes and fantasy narratives. The toy was always a cult favorite, but between late 2023 and early 2024, something shifted: Labubu went viral.
TikTok was the accelerant. Blind box unboxings—where buyers reveal their randomly packaged doll—became a short-form content phenomenon. The anticipation, surprise, and reactions played perfectly into TikTok’s bite-sized suspense economy. By Q1 2025, reports showed Labubu content had flooded For You Pages worldwide, driving mentions up to 876,000 globally across platforms by May 2025. That same report noted a 137% spike in engagement compared to the previous year.
Crucially, Labubu hit emotional and aspirational nerves. It rode the wave of “kidult” culture, a rising consumer segment dominated by Gen Z and Millennials reclaiming childhood joy through collectibles. Amid economic pressure and digital burnout, Labubu offered something comforting, expressive, and tactile in an overwhelmingly digital world.
Labubu as a Cultural Mirror, Marketing Blueprint, and Fashion Crossover
The toy’s traction skyrocketed when celebrities like Dua Lipa, Rihanna, and Lisa from Blackpink flaunted them like designer accessories. No longer confined to collector shelves, Labubu dolls began appearing on luxury runways and in the arms of fashion influencers. This blend of high fashion and kitsch fueled a resale explosion, with rare dolls trading hands for between $1,000 and $7,000. The rarest variants—some with odds of just 1 in 144—have become coveted status symbols.
This convergence of fashion, fandom, and financial speculation mirrors how fashion culture has evolved over the past two decades. The scarcity of limited drops and collaborations (with brands like Coca-Cola and One Piece), the high-visibility endorsements, and the emotional resonance of its “weird but lovable” design gave it a rare trifecta of marketability. Pop Mart’s plush toy division alone saw 1,200% year-over-year growth by the end of 2024, while overall company earnings more than doubled to $1.81 billion, according to AP News.
Just as vital has been the community dynamic. Pop Mart leaned into user-generated content by fostering fan engagement online. Unboxing videos, DIY customization tutorials, and haul showcases formed an organic feedback loop, amplifying exposure while cementing emotional investment. Rather than control the brand narrative, Pop Martlet the audience shape it, a smart move in a media landscape dominated by peer recommendations and micro-influencers.
The physical retail strategy also played a role as Pop Mart expanded rapidly with its robotic vending machines and sleek, automated “robo stores” in high-traffic locations. This method merged accessibility with novelty, allowing fans to chase their next surprise box hit without waiting for online drops. It’s a case study of how physical retail can still thrive when it prioritizes convenience and curiosity.
Labubu as a Mirror of Consumer Psychology
Labubu represents a cultural signal flare showing how emotional utility, platform-native content, and scarcity-driven marketing can coalesce into global phenomena. It suggests that modern consumers—especially the digital-native youth—don’t just want products; they want emotional resonance, community, and the thrill of surprise. A toy that would once be dismissed as too weird or too niche is now hailed as fashion-forward and emotionally profound.
For marketers, the lesson is clear: nostalgia, rarity, and relatability are powerful levers. Combine them with TikTok’s virality engine and the credibility of celebrity endorsements, and even the strangest product can become the next big hit.
