Labubus - the trending doll

 

A colleague of mine was recently telling us how much his little daughter likes the Labubu dolls.. Labubu dolls have taken the world by storm, and it's not just kids who are obsessed - adults are equally smitten. Created by artist Kasing Lung and popularized by Chinese retailer Pop Mart, these quirky toys have become a global phenomenon.

So what exactly drove the labubu craze? In the current market, 'virality' is the king.. if something is trending adopt it.. labubu was made famous by celebrities carrying them as a fashion accessory on the red carpet sparking a frenzy and it soon became a trend.. it was one of the most searched items in '24-'25 as per google search trends and one of the top trending microtrends .. it became a must-have item, making appearances at high-profile events like Wimbledon and Cannes. Closer home Ananya pandey confessed she had a collection too...it saw a 668% rise in revenue in 2025 (as per online reports). The key marketing strategy that worked for the labubus were celebrity endorsement, social media virality and trend-based marketing.  However, the searches have gone down post-June 25, illustrating the limitations of trend-based marketing in achieving long-term sustainability..We are yet to see if the labubus survive beyond the short-lived trend phenomenon..

Google trend