The marketing strategy for the collectible toy Labubu, produced by Pop Mart, focuses on creating emotional connection, scarcity, and community engagement to fuel consumer desire and virality. The success relies on a mix of product-driven psychology and strategic hype marketing. 

Labubu: From Quirky Art Toy to Global Phenomenon

Who Created Labubu?

Labubu was conceptualized by artist Kasing Lung, a Hong Kong illustrator heavily influenced by Nordic mythology. Originally featured in his “The Monsters” storybook series, Labubu gained life—and popularity—as a collectible toy from 2015 under How2Work, then skyrocketed after a partnership with Pop Mart in 2019. Labubu now features over 300 designs ranging from small vinyl figures to rare mega editions, with one fetching $170,000 at auction. (more…)