How do you turn your mascot into the next Labubu?
Labubu is a plush toy made of vinyl and polyester fur. It measures 17 centimetres and is often hung from handbags or backpacks. In 2025, it went viral thanks to social networks, which created a need by showing the shortage. As a result, top stars such as Rihanna, Dua Lipa and Emma Roberts began wearing them on their outfits. Despite the passage of time, Labubu-mania seems to keep on growing. You may be wondering how to generate such a craze with my mascot? That's what we're going to explore here.
The origins of Labubu
Behind every phenomenon is a creator. One day, Hong Kong children's illustrator Kasing Lung decided to look into toy design, combining the world of comics with his own toy world. After several unsuccessful attempts, he gave birth to Labubu in 2015, an elf inspired by the legends of Nordic folklore. He opened a store to showcase his Labubu art sculptures. He later transformed them into the form we know today and marketed them worldwide through Pop Mart.
What's so special about the distribution of Labubus?
Labubu products are sold as a collection in boxes that don't show the product and bear no distinguishing marks. This is the principle of the Blind Box. So when you buy a box of Labubu, you don't know which one you're going to get from the collection. So, opening a Labubu box gives you a thrill akin to a gambling or casino game. The excitement is contagious, and we also want to know which Labubu a star is going to get at the same time. So, this influencer will film herself live opening her packaging. This practice, known as unboxing, was popularized on YouTube in the 2010s. If you want a complete collection, you'll have to buy several boxes until you have all the pieces. There are also resale sites where you can buy the Labubu you want directly. But the highlight of this collection is the Mystery Labubu, which is much rarer than the others. So, like a real treasure hunt, some people raid the partner boutiques.
Labubu's dark side: an evil mascot?
We're not going to talk about the Labubu's supposed satanic motives here. Or just a little. Yes, conspiracy theories abound on every fashionable subject, and some people have even had their labubus blessed in church by the local priest. No, we're talking about people who have been buying labubus en masse and reselling them at a premium. Like gamblers, some are willing to put up their life savings to get the toy they want. This demand has even created a parallel market called Lafufu. This unofficial imitation is seen being sold on all second-hand and resale sites with the aim of deceiving buyers. The worst part of the story is not only the behavior in the stores, but also the fact that Pop Mart retains the scarcity effect, making speculation even more intense. So, what is logical in their situation is completely immoral in view of the madness provoked in some people. To be continued.
Labubu is not a toy like any other: before being an object, it was exhibited in galleries, which reinforces its cultural value. Pop Mart, which is more than just a manufacturer, has orchestrated its virality with a brilliant strategy: selling in blind-boxes, creating controlled scarcity and fuelling desire through uncertainty (the dopamine effect/"dopamine casino"). Celebrities like Lisa from BLACKPINK, Rihanna and Kim Kardashian used it as a fashion accessory, and these early appearances introduced the toy to the world of luxury and lifestyle. Social networks (notably TikTok and Instagram) amplified this trend: unboxing content, bag-charms in fashion situations, FOMO, the buzz fed on itself, leading to stock-outs, queue hysteria, and speculation on the secondary market (some examples reaching exorbitant prices). In short, Pop Mart created a desirable object, conquered the city of stars, activated powerful emotional marketing, and let the community tell the story of a model of modern virality.
The Labubu charm bag style is a trend to follow!
For those of us who don't own a handbag, this universe was totally unknown to us. At first glance, the labubu seems completely associated with the feminine marketing universe, but this is not the case. Indeed, American basketball player LeBron James showed off his labubu, which he even personalized with a golf outfit. The little gnome with his 9 teeth is inspiring, and is becoming a pop culture landmark. Plagiarism aside, he'll undoubtedly be part of references in the future, just like Mickey's ears or Superman's cape.
Labubu: not for children, nostalgic generation.
In France, as soon as a design is pastel, cute or stylized, many people instinctively associate it with childhood, which limits creativity by imposing a "children's" label. Yet a generation born in the early '90s (mine) carries the "Peter Pan syndrome": we grew up with Pokémon, Harry Potter or Disney, and we're still very attached to them. Even so, when Labubu arrived, few would have bet on its success. And yet, today, we hear adults say "what's all this horror?" before giving in. What makes Labubu magical is its ability to transcend generational boundaries: a toy that's neither really cute nor really intimidating, with an "ugly-cute" silhouette that fits into the kidult aesthetic, a soft space between nostalgia and adult desire. Pop Mart has taken advantage of this cultural gap: selling in blind-boxes, creating a desirable rarity, and above all relying on the codes of adult collectors, even in fashionable neighborhoods, where displaying a Labubu (like a bag charm) becomes a gesture of stylish identity, an intergenerational shock that makes the phenomenon something at once strange, instantly cool, and profoundly modern.
How do you achieve Labubu's mascot success?
Assuming we want to replicate Labubu's journey for its mascot, what should we do? Here are the steps to success. Of course, this is an extrapolated example, but it helps us understand how the LABUBU mascot reached the top.
| Step | Key action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Unique design + engaging story |
| 2 | Blind-box + controlled rarity |
| 3 | Multi-channel teasing + suspense |
| 4 | UGC & natural influence |
| 5 | **Various formats + collabs |
| 6 | Committed community |
| 7 | Expansion & solid performance |
Le Labubu: Copied but not equalled: the imitation craze
Stock-outs and scarcity have opened the door to the parallel market. There is, of course, the resale market, but this is prohibitively expensive. As a result, imitations quickly appeared on the scene. They're called Lafufu, or approximate Labubu. To recognize them, you need to count the teeth: the real Labubu has 9. Sometimes, imitations are very faithful. There are also holographic systems to verify authenticity. And remember, if it's too good to be true, it probably is.
Copy to exist on the market?
If you're wondering about the profitability of the counterfeit market, you probably are. But even in the copy business, competition is fierce. The real question is: would you rather be an imitation or the original? The story of Kasing Lung teaches us that it is sometimes necessary to persevere for one's work or products to gain notoriety. But once established, it leaves a lasting imprint on the world.
Originality is hard work: let's create your mascot better than Labubu!
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Sources
- Mini and long-fur launch + sales figures & virality https://apnews.com/article/3a8cfddf6715e96c2a00ecd0aa01dda9
- Creator of Labubu, artistic origin
https://www.tatlerasia.com/lifestyle/arts/kasing-lung-labubu-the-monsters-pop-mart - Celebrity influence (Rihanna, Lisa, Dua Lipa)
https://www.vogue.com/article/fashionable-people-on-their-labubu-obsession - Dopamine effect, scarcity, dopamine casino
https://www.stockhead.com.au/news/scarcity-and-social-media-fuelling-labubu-hype-marketer-says/ - Generalized hype, social phenomenon and cultural context
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/what-is-a-labubu-bag-charm-trending-fashion-accessory/ - Origins and marketing concept (blind-box, collaboration)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labubu - Counterfeit & parallel market ("Lafufu")
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labubu