Top Dog: Pop Mart's Labubu

How Labubu Took Over TikTok—and What Brand Marketers Should Learn From It

At first glance, Labubu is just a quirky little vinyl figure with wild hair and a mischievous smile. But under the surface, it’s a masterclass in how brands can manufacture desire, build community, and go viral, without spending millions on traditional advertising.

Created by Pop Mart, a Chinese designer toy company, Labubu has become a global sensation. TikTokers are lining up outside Pop Mart stores, trading duplicates online, and documenting every unboxing like it’s a once-in-a-lifetime drop. In the U.S., Labubu’s popularity is so intense it’s been labeled “brain rot, ”a term Gen Z uses for hyperfixations they know are ridiculous, but can’t stop loving.

The truth? Labubu’s rise isn’t random. It’s the result of a deliberate, highly effective brand strategy, and one that marketers across industries can learn from.

1. Scarcity Is Not a Bug—It’s the Business Model

Most brands struggle with inventory management. Pop Mart turned it into their greatest marketing weapon.

Labubu figures are sold through blind boxes, sealed packages that don’t reveal which character you’re buying. Within each series, there are “chase” or secret editions that are incredibly rare. Add to that limited releases, surprise drops, and in-store-only availability, and you’ve created real, not manufactured, FOMO.

Unlike fake scarcity tactics (“limited time only!”), Labubu’s drop model has cultural cachet. It feels more like Supreme or Nike SNKRS than mass-produced collectibles. This is retail-as-hunt, and people love the thrill.

Takeaway: Scarcity only works when people care. It needs to feel earned, not contrived. If you’re going to limit access, build up the emotional and social value first.

2. Make the Experience a Game, Not a Transaction

Labubu isn’t just something to buy—it’s something to play.

From the moment a customer purchases a blind box, they’re entering a gamified ecosystem:

• Will I get the one I want?

• Should I trade this one for a rare edition?

• Can I complete the whole set?

It’s dopamine marketing at its best: anticipation, surprise, satisfaction. And this extends online, where users post “pull” videos (opening blind boxes), swap duplicates, and track their collections.

Takeaway: Create layers of engagement. Whether it’s loyalty programs, tiered drops, or community badges, give your audience something to do with your brand beyond just consume it.

3. Embrace (and Empower) Self-Aware Virality

Labubu fans don’t just love the product, they love talking about loving the product. The fandom is in on the joke.

TikTok videos show grown adults joking about their “brain rot,” sharing footage of how many Labubus they’ve bought this week, or setting up elaborate displays in their homes. Others film the chaos of in-store drops or compare notes on secret editions. One viral post simply asked: “Why is everyone suddenly obsessed with this weird little guy?”

The answer: because obsession is contagious when it feels communal.

This kind of self-aware, user-generated content (UGC) works because it doesn’t try to be polished or perfect. It mirrors how consumers actually think and talk. Pop Mart didn’t try to control the narrative. They empowered fans to create it.

Takeaway: Your customers’ content is more powerful than your own. Give them reasons—and permission—to make it their own. Embrace the weird, the meme-able, the unexpected. That’s where the magic is.

4. Specificity Beats Scale

One of the most counterintuitive lessons of Labubu is that it doesn’t appeal to everyone. And that’s what makes it so strong.

Labubu is odd. It’s visually eccentric. It’s emotional catnip for a certain kind of fan: nostalgic, slightly chaotic, highly expressive. Pop Mart never tried to water it down or make it broadly palatable. They doubled down on the aesthetic and culture that made it sticky.

That specificity created deep engagement, not just wide reach.

And while Labubu has niche appeal, it doesn't discriminate across demographics, in fact, part of the genius is Labubu is a status symbols on both backpacks and Birkins. While it seems to be intended for Gen Alpha and Gen Z, these little monsters tug at the heart-strings (and very expensive purse-strings) of Millenials. After all, we’re the generation of Beanie Babies and Pokémon. We don’t just like cute collectibles, we "gotta get 'em all."

Takeaway: In a world of mass marketing and generic branding, being specific is an advantage. Build for your people, not for “everyone.” Niche brands can punch way above their weight when they feel emotionally resonant. (And remember niche doesn't necessarily mean age specific.)

5. Demand-Driven Brands Will Win the Next Era of Retail

The genius of Labubu is how demand drives everything: production, distribution, marketing. Pop Mart doesn’t overstock or overproduce. They build anticipation, track interest, and launch products designed to be shared. Their model is agile and responsive—more like entertainment than old-school retail.

For marketers, this means we need to think less like traditional brands and more like creators. What’s going to get talked about? How do we stay culturally aware and strategically nimble? How do we tap into velocity, not just visibility?

Takeaway: Build marketing systems that respond to demand, not just create it. Social listening, short-form content, drop culture, and community engagement are no longer “nice to have.” They’re core to modern brand-building.

Final Thoughts

Labubu might look like just a toy, but it’s so much more: it’s a blueprint for demand-driven branding in the age of TikTok.

It proves that scarcity still works—but only when the brand is worth chasing. That virality is less about big budgets and more about emotional resonance. That fandom, not frequency, builds real brand equity.

So the next time you see someone post their 12th Labubu unboxing this week, don’t roll your eyes. Take notes.

Further Reading:

• The Rise of Labubu on TikTok – BoF

• The Labubu Playbook for Demand-Driven Retail – RTIH

• “Brain Rot” Marketing: Three Lessons – Forbes

• Viral Marketing and the Labubu Phenomenon – Forbes