New trends emerge every day, but this is different. A slightly spooky, sharp-toothed plush creature called Labubu went viral at levels never seen before. Although it certainly proves how well marketing nowadays can influence buyers and society, even the greatest marketing strategies eventually fail. Some said that Labubu was an obsession that would never let us go — this time, we’ve seen it was not the case.
But in the first instance, how did Labubu’s marketing manage to trigger our desire to buy? What strategies did Labubu’s team use? And how is it really going?
To answer these questions, I will break down this phenomenon into three parts: The Genius, The Strategies, and The End?
THE GENIUS
How is it possible that a doll with pointy ears, a serrated grin, and strangely sweet eyes (very ugly, some would say) had such success? It might amuse or trigger you, but the answer is in the question. Seth Godin, a well-known marketer, said in one of his books that traditional marketing no longer works — in today’s world, marketing must contribute to building the product itself, not just promoting it once it’s finished.
Therefore, Labubu’s design is the key to understanding the genius behind its effect: the coexistence of features like “creepy” and “cute” creates an emotional bond with the buyer. But how? Simple — this emotional contradiction translates into comforting chaos, as it taps into a deeply familiar sense of being a child again.
In addition, Labubu’s marketing team also relied on emotional storytelling, presenting the background of the little creatures as something we can all relate to: a gentle figure that, even with good intentions, ends up worsening the situation. Obviously, this causes the buyer to build a connection with the spooky creature, and the storytelling — combined with multiple possible Labubu backgrounds — increases the number of fans who could fall into this emotional trap.
THE STRATEGIES
The main marketing strategy that Pop Mart adopted for Labubu was the packaging: what drove so many people to buy Labubus was the irresistible urge to experience the unboxing. As a matter of fact, being sold in surprise boxes fueled a concept often used in marketing strategies — the addiction loop. When rewards are unpredictable, they trigger a stronger emotional response and increase engagement — the same mechanism used in slot machines.
This packaging strategy caused a domino effect by expanding across social networks, and thanks to the quick and exciting unboxings, the trend rapidly spread.
This approach, paired with star-power marketing, was the final ingredient in the recipe for obsession: with Rihanna, Lisa, Dua Lipa, and many others posing and posting with Labubus, the game was almost won. The creature became a status symbol, fashion’s most wanted accessory — and you already know what happens when something meets these characteristics: it blows up.
The cherry on top was the scarcity that caused FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out). By scarcity, we mean that something is limited or in short supply. When availability drops, perceived worth shoots up — and Pop Mart truly exploited it. By releasing limited editions and seasonal drops, they secured success, also helped by the resale culture that, as a result, kicked in.
THE END?
So, are Labubus really an obsession that will never let us go? The latest news disagrees: in the last week, Pop Mart lost 9% of its market valuation, erasing 13 billion dollars.
The causes of this sharp drawdown are many, but it was largely the result of the fading sense of “premium” as secondary markets arose. This summer, the Shanghai police dismantled a counterfeit ring responsible for 5,000 fakes, and the event quickly spread on social media, with people starting to call the fake toys “Lafufus.”
The presence of so many fakes made the collections feel less valuable and weakened the sense of exclusivity that drew people in. Pop Mart tried to fight back, but the damage was done.
The risk of using scarcity as a main tool is that it can end up being your only key feature — and as you may know, a product based mostly on scarcity is easily replaceable. Marketing isn’t just about making something hard to get; it’s about how you keep people interested and how you build lasting meaning, even after the unboxing excitement is over.
Anyway, it’s not guaranteed that this will be the end of Labubu’s journey — we cannot say. But one thing is sure: it’s not something that will never let us go, and anyone can be pushed aside — even the biggest ones.