In an age where virality often feels manufactured, Labubu proves one thing:
Let creators lead, and a collectible can spark a cultural revolution.
What started as a niche designer toy quickly became a billion-dollar movement.
No paid campaigns. No heavy PR machines. Just passionate creators, authentic obsession, and complete narrative freedom.
This isn’t influencer marketing. This is cultural hijacking.
🧨 It All Began with One Post, Then the Internet Took Over
Labubu’s rise wasn’t planned.
It ignited when Lisa from Blackpink casually posted it no #ad, no collab, just her being herself. Within hours, Labubu transformed from a niche collectible to an it-girl icon.
Then came Jisoo, CL, and a wave of top-tier celebrities and micro-creators , not to push a product, but because they genuinely loved it.
The result? A cascading effect: fans reposted, collectors scrambled, creators created.
Labubu didn’t market itself. The internet did.
🎯 More Than Just a Toy , A Cultural Totem
What made Labubu stick wasn’t just celebrity sparkle but deep emotional resonance.
Its design thrives on contradiction:
Cute yet unsettling.
Childlike yet sly.
Adorable yet strange.
That’s exactly why it works. In a world obsessed with polish and perfection, Labubu feels raw, weird, real. It taps into Gen Z’s hunger for authenticity, contradiction, and self-expression.
Creators didn’t just pose with Labubu, they built stories around it.
Audiences didn’t just consume, they participated.
📈 The Numbers That Matter: Creator-Driven Impact
Labubu moved markets, not just minds:
- 1.2 million+ TikTok posts tagged #Labubu
- Unboxing videos with 400K–600K views each
- Diverse content, ASMR, cosplay, mood edits, that dominated TikTok and Xiaohongshu algorithms
- A thriving community of fan pages, collector forums, and meme culture
- A staggering +1,930% growth in Labubu-inspired Amazon sales within one year
- Pop Mart’s H1 2024 revenue hit ¥6.3 billion (~$870 million), with Labubu line sales up 726% year-over-year
- A single Labubu statue resold for ¥1.08 million (~$151,000)
- Pop Mart’s profit soared +350%, fueled by Labubu-led scarcity drops and TikTok Shop conversions
💡 Why It Worked: The Creator-Led Formula
Labubu cracked the code that brands chase but rarely master:
- Organic Celebrity Spark
No seeding, no scripted brand deals. Pure influence. The fandom followed because creators weren’t selling, they were feeling. - Zero Scripting, Full Freedom
Labubu wasn’t briefed. It was gifted, collected, and loved. Creators integrated it into their style and routines authentically. - Scarcity as a Marketing Engine
Pop Mart weaponized FOMO with limited drops, blind boxes, and surprise variants. Every unboxing became content, every restock an event. - Emotion First, Product Second
Labubu wasn’t positioned as just a toy, it was framed as a symbol, a vibe, a reflection of identity. This emotional layer turned content into connection, connection into conversion, and conversion into community.
🌀 The Bigger Shift: From Influencers to Narrators
Labubu is a case study in the creator economy of 2025.
We’ve moved past “brand ambassadors” to “narrative carriers”, creators who don’t just promote products but give them meaning.
Labubu didn’t succeed despite creative freedom. It succeeded because of it.
It proves that when creators are trusted to lead, they don’t just generate views. They generate value.
⚡ The btrend Take
At btrend, we help creators and brands replicate this model, not through rigid briefs or top-down campaigns, but through co-creation.
The Labubu phenomenon shows what’s possible when you build for:
Creativity, not compliance.
Participation, not perfection.
Narrative, not noise.
You don’t need a massive budget.
You need cultural intuition, a story worth telling, and creators who can tell it their way.
Labubu proves that in the creator economy, virality belongs to those who let go of control and trust the people who move culture.
𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗖𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗩𝗜𝗧𝗬 𝗜𝗦 𝗣𝗢𝗪𝗘𝗥 ⚡
match create monetize
