The Labubu Craze: Same Hype, New Generation
The Labubu Craze
Same Hype, New Generation
The Labubu Craze: Same Hype, New Generation
If you’ve spent any time online recently — especially on TikTok or collector forums — you’ve probably seen them: wide-eyed, pointy-eared creatures called Labubu.
They’re not plush toys, not quite action figures, but something in between — a mix of art, collectable and cultural obsession. And they’re taking the internet by storm.
But before Labubu fever, there were Cabbage Patch Dolls. There were Beanie Babies. There were queues outside toy shops, bidding wars, limited editions, and moral panics about parents fighting in aisles for the “must-have” toy of the year.
In other words, the Labubu craze isn’t new — it’s history repeating itself, just with a modern algorithmic twist.
So, what exactly is Labubu?
Labubu is a mischievous little character from The Monsters series by Hong Kong-based artist Kasing Lung, produced by collectible brand Pop Mart.
Each figure is sold in a “blind box” — meaning you don’t know which design you’re getting until you open it. The thrill of mystery, the hunt for rare editions, and the community trading aspect have all fuelled its cult following.
They’re adorable, slightly unsettling, and highly collectible. Some fans call them “designer toys”, others “emotional investments”. Either way, they’ve become a symbol of 2020s consumer culture: art meets commerce, with a dash of nostalgia and a hit of dopamine.
The echoes of past crazes
Labubu isn’t the first creature to spark chaos. Every generation has its “must-have collectible” moment.
- Cabbage Patch Dolls (1980s): Handmade-style baby dolls that sparked actual riots in toy shops. Parents fought over them like concert tickets.
- Beanie Babies (1990s): Soft toys turned speculative assets — people genuinely believed they’d fund future mortgages.
- Tamagotchis (late ’90s): Digital pets that needed constant care — or they’d “die”. Schools banned them.
- Funko Pops (2010s): Vinyl figurines that turned fandom into a shelf-based lifestyle.
Each of these crazes combined two things: emotion and scarcity. And that’s exactly what Pop Mart and Labubu have mastered — only this time, they’ve wrapped it up in sleek branding and influencer-driven hype.
The psychology behind the obsession
The modern twist is how social media has amplified the cycle.
Back in the ’90s, you had to go to a toy shop or read a magazine to find out what was trending. Now, one unboxing video on TikTok can spark global demand overnight.
The formula works perfectly:
- Limited availability → instant FOMO.
- Mystery box → dopamine reward system.
- Online community → validation loop.
It’s the collector’s high — designed for the digital age.
And in a world where people are burnt out, nostalgic, and craving simple joys, it’s easy to see why adults are as hooked as kids once were.
Collecting as comfort
Maybe that’s the real story behind Labubu’s success. It’s not just about owning something cute or rare — it’s about control.
Collecting provides structure, escapism, and nostalgia. It’s a harmless obsession that gives people something to look forward to, trade, display, and connect over.
Labubu’s charm lies in its weirdness — it’s not perfectly polished, and that’s the point. In a world of AI-generated perfection and digital clones, something handmade-feeling and tactile feels refreshing.
So while it’s easy to dismiss these little monsters as just another fad, they might actually say something deeper about our cultural mood.
Same hype, new tools
From Cabbage Patch to Beanie Babies to Labubu — the core is the same: connection, emotion, identity.
What’s changed is how quickly hype spreads and how global it’s become.
Pop Mart isn’t just selling toys — it’s selling belonging. And in a hyper-digital world, that might be the most valuable commodity of all.
Every generation has its craze. Labubu just happens to be ours — cute, chaotic, and perfectly built for the algorithm.
How one strong advertising campaign can change your life and pop culture
Advertising is one of the most powerful tools of marketing, capable of transforming entire industries and shaping the way we perceive the world around us. A well-executed advertising campaign can change the way we live our lives, the way we think about certain products, and even the way we view pop culture icons. In this blog post, we will examine two powerful advertising campaigns that have had a significant impact on our culture: the diamond engagement ring and the Coca Cola Santa Claus.
The Diamond Engagement Ring
In the early 20th century, the diamond engagement ring was not a widely popular tradition. In fact, diamonds were not even considered a desirable gemstone at the time. The De Beers Diamond Company, which controlled the majority of the world’s diamond supply, realized that they needed to increase demand for their product. In 1938, they hired the N.W. Ayer advertising agency to create a campaign that would convince the public that a diamond engagement ring was a necessary symbol of love and commitment.
The N.W. Ayer agency created an advertising campaign that included a series of print ads and radio spots that emphasized the rarity and beauty of diamonds. The campaign also introduced the slogan “A Diamond is Forever,” which became one of the most recognizable advertising taglines in history. The campaign was so successful that it completely transformed the diamond industry and made the diamond engagement ring a cultural norm.
Today, the diamond engagement ring is an integral part of our culture, and it is hard to imagine proposing without one. This is a testament to the power of advertising and the ability of a well-executed campaign to change the way we live our lives.
Coca Cola Santa Claus
The image of Santa Claus as we know it today, with his red and white suit and jolly demeanor, is largely a creation of the Coca Cola Company. In the early 20th century, Santa Claus was depicted in a variety of ways, with no standard image or uniform. In 1931, Coca Cola hired the artist Haddon Sundblom to create an advertising campaign that would feature Santa Claus and promote their product during the holiday season.
Sundblom’s depiction of Santa Claus was based on the Clement Clarke Moore poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” which describes Santa as a “jolly old elf.” Sundblom created a warm, friendly image of Santa Claus, complete with a red and white suit, a big belly, and a white beard. The campaign was so successful that it became a cultural phenomenon, and the image of Santa Claus as a jolly, red-suited figure has remained largely unchanged ever since.
Today, the Coca Cola Santa Claus is an iconic symbol of the holiday season, and it is hard to imagine Christmas without him. This is another example of the power of advertising to shape our culture and the way we think about certain products and symbols.
In conclusion, advertising is a powerful tool that can change the way we live our lives and the way we view the world around us. The diamond engagement ring and the Coca Cola Santa Claus are two examples of how a strong advertising campaign can transform entire industries and become an integral part of our culture. These campaigns are a testament to the power of creativity, innovation, and strategic thinking, and they serve as a reminder that advertising can be a force for good when it is used responsibly and thoughtfully.