With its scruffy fur, tiny frame, and mischievous grin, the Labubu monster doll by Chinese toymaker Pop Mart has taken the world by storm, from celebrity handbags to viral TikToks, the curious collectable is now one of China’s most beloved cultural exports.
Once known more for low-cost goods than trendsetting design, Chinese consumer brands are beginning to shift perceptions abroad, and Labubu may be leading that quiet revolution.
“Now everything goes viral… because of social media. And yes, it’s cool. It’s different,” said Lucy Shitova, an interior designer from a Pop Mart store in London. Demand for the toys in the UK has gotten so intense that the company had to suspend in-person sales over fears of unruly fan behaviour.
Produced in limited quantities and sold in “blind boxes”, where buyers only discover the exact model after purchase, Labubus typically retail for around $40, but some editions fetch far higher prices at resale or auction.
A limited edition “Labubu Pilot” recently went on display in Beijing ahead of an anticipated auction, adding to the collectable’s mystique. The toy has even graced the arms of global stars like Rihanna and Cher.
A “cool” China?
Pop Mart’s breakout success is part of a broader but still rare phenomenon: Chinese cultural products winning hearts abroad on their terms. While countries like South Korea and Japan have long exported fashion, K-pop, and gaming franchises with global reach, China has struggled to replicate that success due to the perception of its exports as generic or mass-produced.
“It has been hard for the world’s consumers to perceive China as a brand-creating nation,” said Fan Yang, a cultural studies scholar at the University of Maryland.
Yet Labubu bucks the trend. Its odd, imperfect appearance, described by fans as “quirky and ugly but inclusive” — has helped it resonate with global youth eager for something authentic and offbeat. The toy’s popularity has spawned imitations and in-depth YouTube tutorials for spotting fakes.
Other Chinese fashion and lifestyle brands like Shushu/Tong, Songmont, and Marchen are also gaining momentum abroad, reflecting a subtle shift.
“It might just be a matter of time before even more Chinese brands become globally recognisable,” Yang added.
Social media’s power boost of Labubu
Pop Mart’s global success is in no small part thanks to TikTok, the ByteDance-owned video app that has introduced Labubu to younger audiences worldwide. TikTok, though banned in mainland China, has become a gateway for Chinese pop culture, hosting more than 1.7 million Labubu-related videos.
“All of this represents a soft-power shift where Chinese products are increasingly cool among young Westerners,” said Allison Malmsten, a China consumer analyst at Daxue Consulting. She compared the trend to Japan’s global cultural rise through brands like Nintendo and Pokémon.
Joshua Kurlantzick of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) echoed this view, saying TikTok likely helped reshape consumer sentiment about Chinese products. However, he noted that such cultural wins do not necessarily translate to political influence.
“Cultural exports can improve the image of China as a place that produces desirable products… but that doesn’t mean the Chinese state’s image improves at the same pace.”
A symbol of new aspirations
While Washington’s global image has been rocked by internal political turmoil in recent years, Beijing’s softer side, embodied by playful monsters like Labubu, is quietly becoming more appealing.
“There’s this connection some make between the decline of US soft power and the idea of China rising,” Fan Yang noted. “Even if the government remains controversial, the products offer a different narrative.”
And for the next generation, Labubu is more than a toy; it’s a reason to be curious about China.
“In our country, they love Labubu,” said 11-year-old Maryam Hammadi from Qatar, snapping photos beside a giant Labubu figure at Pop Mart’s Pop Land theme park in Beijing. “When they realise that Labubu came from China, they want to come here to see more.”
Kazakhstani visitor Anelya Batalova echoed the sentiment: “It’s like a virus. Everyone just wants it.”
With Labubu’s popularity showing no signs of slowing, the fuzzy little monster may be doing more for China’s global image than any official campaign ever could.
