After telling you the Nonsense of the Italian Brainrot, we return to talk about another trend of the moment, also favored – even if the idea, unlike brainrot, does not arise on the Chinese social social network, which has only contributed to the diffusion – from that inexhaustible forge of the “fantastic” that responds to the name of Tiktok: we are talking about the now famous Labububu dolls. Becoming cult, a phenomenon that transcends the simple category of toy to configure itself as an authentic cultural marker.
The Labubu dolls are creatures with an ambivalent aesthetic, born from the pencil of the Belgian-Hongkongian illustrator Kasing Lung, which embody the contradictions and aspirations of a generation that seeks in the physical object an identity form of expression within an increasingly digital context.
The anatomy of a global phenomenon
The genesis of Labubu dates back to 2015, when Kasing Lung introduces the character within the narrative series “The Monsters”, inspired by Nordic mythology.
The creature is characterized by a wild hair, sharp teeth and a hybrid morphology between elf and rabbit, with a “ugly-carine” aesthetic-a category that challenges the traditional canons of the childhood collectible.
The turning point is manifested in 2019 with the partnership between Lung and Pop Mart, a Chinese company specialized in collectible toys. The commercial alliance transforms a niche character into a mass phenomenon, with over 300 variants produced and distributed through the “blind box” system – sealed packs that conceal which specific version contains.
The psychology of the contemporary collector
The analysis of the demographic profile of the Labubu collectors reveals the following: the main target is located in the 18-35 age group, with a predominance of creative and digital native professionals (to be understood, the children of the Gen Z). The data contradicts the apparent childhood nature of the product and suggests much more complex psychological dynamics.
The mechanism of the Blind Box, whose content remains unknown until the time of opening, is able to turn on the desire, as happens, for example, with cards and stickers, or with the surprises of the Easter egg, without forgetting the Gacha Games – video games in which it is possible to spend game currency to obtain random rewards, based on the Gachapon system (the distributors that we can find outside of Tabaccai, bar. and pubs inside which plastic spheres with surprise are contained).
Purchase with an active closed box specific neural circuits related to reward, similarly to what happens in gambling. The uncertainty of the content generates a expectation that amplifies the perceived value of the object, and the purchase is transformed into an emotional experience that goes beyond material possession,
Particularly relevant is the concept of “perceived scarcity”, where the limited editions and the “secret” variants trigger a series of compulsive research and acquisition behaviors: the collector often does not simply seek an object, as much as participation in a social ritual that confers both status and belonging to a global community of enthusiasts.
The paradox of digital authenticity
The Labubu dolls fit into a wider cultural context that sees young adults seeking forms of tangible authenticity in an era dominated by the virtualization of experiences. While digital content proliferate and multiply infinity, the physical object – especially if rare or unique – acquires a symbolic amplified value.
The phenomenon is connected to larger dynamics of contemporary culture, including viral phenomena such as the aforementioned Italian “brainrot”, where the obsession for specific content/objects becomes itself part of the online identity of individuals. The Labubu act as a bridge between the physical and digital world: real objects that acquire meaning through their documentation and sharing on social media.
The economy of collecting desire
The Labubu market presents peculiar economic dynamics. Prices range from $ 15-20 for a standard Blind Box to astronomical figures for rarer editions: the case of 2024 emblematic, when a megbu green mint labubu of 1.2 meters was sold at auction for $ 170,000. Such a value escalation has therefore transformed the toy into a sort of speculative investment, comparable to contemporary works of art such as the Kaws Companions or Bearbrick, but this, perhaps, we will talk again.
The artificial scarcity generated by Pop Mart feeds a decidedly flourishing secondary market. Platforms such as Wallapop record increases by 104% in Labubu research, while ridges of smuggling to satisfy a question that constantly exceeds the official offer: for example, Chinese customs authorities have confiscated 462 Pop Marty toys since April, testifying to the intensity of the phenomenon.
The influence of celebrities and viralization
The expansion of the Labubu dolls has taken enormous benefit from the celebrity endorsement such as Madonna, Lisa delle Blackpink, Dua Lipa and Rihanna, who have catalyzed the global expansion of the phenomenon: the Labubu are integrated into their personal style as “Piece’s statement”, transforming them from toys into fashion accessories.
The presence on social media exponentially amplifies visibility: over a million posts on Tiktok document collections, unboxing and customizations. Obsessive documentation transforms collectibles into social performance, where the value of the object also derives from its ability to generate shareable content.
@gaiaviscogilardi I open my first Labubu seated
#labubu #haveaseat #popmart
♬ Original sound – Pop Mart
Cultural implications and future perspectives
The Labubu phenomenon illuminates significant aspects of contemporary consumer culture. The fusion between childhood nostalgia and adult sophistication reflects the generational refusal of rigid categories between maturity and playfulness. As mentioned, collectors do not simply acquire an object, but participate in a system of meanings that gives meaning and structure to daily experience.
The proliferation of counterfeit sites and online scams also highlights the intrinsic risks of such a market. As revealed by Kaspersky – international company that deals with IT security – there are criminal groups that exploit the emotional urgency of collectors, creating false online stores in multiple languages to steal the financial data of customers.
To conclude
The analysis of the phenomenon offers many ideas of reflection on the future of cultural consumerism. In a saturated world of virtual stimuli, the search for tangible and unique experiences will probably continue to guide new forms of collecting, with Labubu – ambiguous aesthetic and gamified distribution system – which could represent the prototype of the perfect “cultural product”, in which entertainment, investment and social identity coexist serenely.
Who knows Tyler Durden what Labubu would think.
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