TR | 2026-05-25

Sometime last year I saw a man in his young to mid-twenties with a fluffy toy grinning cheekily out at the world from a clip on his belt. The contrast between his masculine-expressing clothing and the plushie jarred. It was some sort of statement, but I didn't know how to interpret it and I couldn’t forget it. That was my introduction to Labubu. Meeting Labubu and Pop Mart Labubu is a small fluffy toy with stubby arms, rabbit eats, a round body and large head filled with huge doe-eyes and a wide "snaggletoothed" grin. Created in 2015 by artist-designer Kasing Lung for a picture book series, Labubu and her magical elven companions - each imbued with unique characteristics - are inspired by Nordic mythology and dubbed “The Monsters”. These whimsical and curious (female) elves have lived out their carefree lives in the forest for millenia; at least, until 2019 when POP MART acquired exclusive rights to the Labubu IP. POP MART is, in their own words, “a rising global force in pop culture and entertainment”, with “over 500 stores in 30+ countries and regions, more than 2,300 ROBOSHOPS and e-commerce." (A ROBOSHOP, for the uninitiated, is a vending machine for toys.) Labubu may be POP MART’s biggest draw, but the brand sells numerous other characters made by different “artists”. There's Molly, Dimoo, Pucky, skullpanda, crybaby and others, each designed by different artists. Each character has pages of plushies, figures, charms, phone cases and bags. There are crossovers between characters and other brands, like coca-cola, Disney, even UEFA. Labubu is cute. But why is it so successful, so suddenly? Why are adults wearing them on their belts?

Escaping adulthood and loneliness Labubu has to be viewed with reference to the Coronavirus pandemic that coincides with her POP MART launch in 2019 and rise to fame in 2024 after promotion by K-pop idol Lisa (which was not an official endorsement).

While experiences during the pandemic were not homogeneous, many younger people experienced a specific sort of hardship - missing a part of their youth. Forced into isolation, young adults missing out on social engagement and opportunities to make friends and social networks, learn social skills and explore behavioural boundaries. In this regard, Labubu seems to have proven very effective at acting as an avatar and companion. Above: A reddit user shares details on how to give Labubus a BBLIn the years following the pandemic many of us, across all ages, embraced nostalgia - a yearning for either true or imagined pasts – comforting associations which offer us an imaginary respite from the complexities, threats and uncertainties in the present day. But it's not just the pandemic that might have nudged people towards plushies - we are in a period of unprecedented institutional weakness without real trust in the possibility for things to improve. Affordable housing and stable careers are no longer even expectations. In the West, economic decline, intractable political fragmentation and conflict are the stable elements of reality. Above: A reddit user shares that his Labubu gives him joyThere is no doubt that Labubu and plushies in general find favour among those simply seeking comfort, the cute and the soft – the ‘kidults’ and the ‘disney adults’. Associated cultural movements like Kawaii and K-Pop, especially relevant because of K-Pop star Lisa’s endorsement of Labubu, promote childish behaviour and aesthetics. The name itself, Labubu, is obviously chosen for babyish associations. Labubu herself is designed using the “baby schema”. But while nostalgia and a rejection of ageing and adulthood is part of Labubu’s appeal it isn’t the full story. While reminiscent of plushies of bygone times – think beanie babies, furby, build-a-bear, even jellycat – Labubu was, to most people, a new character when they encountered her in 2024 or 2025. Much more important is the social role Labubu can play for those, especially Gen Z, affected by both loneliness and pervasive use of social-media. In the UK, 33% of those between 16 and 29 report being lonely "often, always or some of the time".

This age group spends less time with others than previous generations and role-play with toys provides a space in which to play out or simulate adult social interactions. Above: A reddit user shares an image of plushies buying coffee with a friendCountless posts on social media platforms show Labubus sweetly performing mundane discretised activities familiar to our daily lives; taking the bus, taking selfies, eating, drinking coffee with a friend, getting married. This role-playing simulates, rehearses (or perhaps substitutes for) real behaviours that the owner might want to or actually engage in. Many of those roles are not speculative, though, but show Labubu accompanying owners in their daily lives or at special events, performing mirror-activities like an avatar. Above: A reddit user shares an image of Labubu accompanying them in their work van Above: A reddit user shares an image of Labubus dressed for, and attending a weddingSocial consumption How do I know about this role-playing function, though? Labubu exists as much on social media as she does in the real world and by doing so she takes on numerous roles aside toy. In addition to Labubus simply posed in cute scenarios, owners post images and videos of unboxings, collections, rare Labubus, fake Labubus (Lafufus) and Labubus in the real world. Labubu’s teeth and her name were chosen to be memorable and to stand out against other plushies. But early on in Labubu’s rise to fame, Lung noticed they took on a social role: “In the past, before the keychain plush dolls were released, people would bring the larger vinyl dolls with them on vacation, in cafés and restaurants. I saw a lot of this on Instagram.” (source) This usage shaped the product, leading to introduction of the smaller, portable keychain Labubu and becoming an important marketing focus for POP MART, whose own marketing materials depict Labubu taking selfies and making and sharing digital content. Above: POP MART advert depicting Labubu taking selfies and editing a social media videoBy sharing images of Labubus, the social opportunities multiply.

A photo of Labubu could simply announce oneself and that you are culturally relevant, part of the group and up-to-date on busy social media. The quantity or rarity of Labubus in a collection (exoticism and conspicuous consumption) showcases the owner’s economic ability. Especially for the genuinely wealthy, Labubu is often pictured alongside expensive fashion items like bags, clothing, watches, jewellery. Beyond that comes the ability to communicate more nuanced, personal and self-aware statements by dressing and customising Labubu. Sharing images of Labubu posed and role-playing signals offers a chance to leave a statement or joke. Above: A reddit user who has styled their Labubu wearing a cute Fuck Donald Trump T-shirt, softening the political messageSharing images of Labubu in physical places or with meaningful contents communicates the owner’s activities, perhaps in a more self-aware way than a selfie. Above: A reddit user shares an image of their Labubus joining them at the gym

Above: A reddit user announces their new romantic partner through the eyes of LabubuShared via social media Labubu is not a static or simple sign but one which can be configured endlessly to communicate - belonging, uniqueness, exoticism, wealth, eliteness. When I saw Labubu hanging from that young man’s belt, he was (ostentatiously) extending Labubu’s poignancy, incubated on social media, into the real world. He signals his cultural relevance, age, belonging and perhaps something of his own values or alignments according to which Labubu and how it was styled. Through all this he is aiming for connection with others, perhaps especially women his age (who buy 80% of Labubus). Does he play with Labubu at home? I highly doubt it. Labubu is thus an accessory, with similarities to jewellery but carrying potential for more nuanced statements and individual modification. Like jewellery, a worn Labubu can be taken off, as context requires. You might not wear a Labubu in front of parents or in a work context, not wanting to emphasise your youth.

Social media consumption Social media, then, doesn’t just provide “free advertising” for POP MART, but creates much of Labubu’s cultural value. When people affirm the value of the product on social media viewers are encouraged to join in or miss out; an immediate and self-strengthening engine which propels the product’s demand. For the consumer, participation – whether genuine or not - can result in gaining genuine social capital (the process of simulation, according to Baudrillard and others, wherein emulation becomes indistinguishable from the real, to the extent that the difference is irrelevant). Once a product, initially without sign value, gains a socially-determined value, that value becomes real (and sellable). Yet the value is fragile – as soon as Labubu’s cultural relevance wanes, its use as a signifier collapses, even inverts as a sign of outdatedness. But for Labubu this process is turbocharged by its relationship with social media - as a social media object, the value of Labubu is centered not in the physical object but in its relationship to social media, to the posting of images of videos, and therefore even its real-world value returns to social media. Social media is not just part of Labubu's appeal but is the essential sustaining engine which sets Labubu apart from other toys and powers Labubu’s value. Above: Labubu's size is displayed in relation to an iPhone for reference The object cannot be interpreted totally without association with social media - In this Baudrillardian hyperreality, where the real and the imaginary are interspersed and interrelate endlessly, it’s unclear whether a Labubu in social media communicates about the real-life worth of the individual, or whether a Labubu in real life communicates about the social-media worth of the individual. It’s not even clear which of the two value systems leads which. The medium is totally dispersed into reality.

Gambling and addiction: With Labubu, POP MART have – I argue intentionally – created an addictive product-consumption cycle. Addiction forms through repeated actions that may result in an exciting or rewarding experience, but also often result in feelings of loss or shame. The quicker and easier the action-reward cycle the easier it is to reinforce the cycle.