How Labubu, a Quirky Little Toy, Is Quietly Changing How the World Sees China
With a mischievous grin, sharp teeth, and fuzzy ears, Labubu — the oddball creation from Chinese toymaker Pop Mart — is fast becoming a global obsession. You’ll find the small figurine dangling from the handbags of stars like Rihanna and Cher, popping up in collector feeds, and even inspiring frenzied crowds at stores across the globe.
At Pop Mart’s London location, the love for Labubu runs so deep that sales had to be paused temporarily over fears of crowd chaos. All this hype? For a tiny toy that sells in mystery boxes for around $40, where you never know which version you’ll unwrap.
So what’s driving the craze?
“They’re weird, a little ugly, but super relatable,” said interior designer Lucy Shitova while browsing at the store. “It’s different, and that’s exactly why people love it.”
Pop Mart is part of a new generation of Chinese brands quietly capturing attention abroad. Unlike the country’s more traditional exports — like fast fashion or electronics — Labubu brings something more personal: playfulness, style, and surprise.
While neighboring countries like Japan and South Korea have long built cultural empires through music, fashion, and entertainment, China’s creative exports have struggled to gain that kind of global affection. But Labubu might be changing that.
And it’s not alone.
Brands like Shushu/Tong, known for its edgy women’s wear, and handbag label Songmont are slowly carving out space on the global stage. Some experts believe it’s only a matter of time before Chinese fashion and lifestyle brands become as globally recognized as Japan’s Nintendo or Korea’s BTS.
“This is China’s soft power in motion,” said analyst Allison Malmsten. “Labubu is becoming what Pikachu or Hello Kitty was to Japan — a symbol that’s cute, cool, and instantly recognizable.”
Social media has played a huge role in Labubu’s rapid rise. TikTok, designed by Chinese company ByteDance, gave the brand an international runway. With over 1.7 million Labubu-related videos on the app, the toy’s visibility exploded — especially among Gen Z collectors.
It helps that TikTok has become a cultural engine among young people worldwide. While the app is banned inside China, it’s undeniably one of the country’s most influential exports. Even as U.S. officials debate its future, TikTok continues to shape trends — and shift global perceptions of what Chinese creativity looks like.
“It may not change how people view China’s government,” said Joshua Kurlantzick of the Council on Foreign Relations, “but it’s definitely changing how they see Chinese companies.”
The affection for Labubu is real — and it’s spreading.
At Pop Mart’s theme park in Beijing, kids and adults pose for selfies with giant statues of the creature. Eleven-year-old Maryam Hammadi from Qatar summed it up simply: “In our country, they love Labubu. Now we want to come see where it all began.”
Labubu may be small, but it’s packing a powerful punch — one blind box at a time.
