Small, unclear and barely sharp teeth, Chinese toymaker Pop March Labubu Monster dolls have taken over the world, drawn excited crowds in international stores and adorn the handbags of celebrities such as Rihanna and Cher.
Beijing-based Popmart is part of a rising tide of Chinese cultural exports winning traction abroad, furry ambassadors in a “cool” China, even in places more associated with negative public opinion on Beijing such as Europe and North America.
Labubus, which typically sells for about $ 40, is released in limited quantities and sold in “blind boxes”, which means buyers do not know the exact model they will receive.
The dolls are “slightly quirky and ugly and very inclusive so people can relate,” interior architect Lucy Shitova told AFP In a pop mart store in London, where the personal sale of Labubus has been suspended over fear that fans could become violent in their search for the toy.
“Now everything becomes viral … because of social media. And yes, it’s cool. It’s different.”
While the nearby East Asian countries South Korea and Japan are globally recognized for their advanced fashion, cinema and pop songs, China’s heavily censored film and music industry has struggled to attract international audiences and the country’s best-known clothing exporter is a fast-fashion site Shein.
There have been few success stories about Chinese companies selling preliminary goods under their own brands are facing stereotypes of cheap and low quality products.
“It has been difficult for the world’s consumers to perceive China as a brand-creating nation,” the University of Maryland’s fan Yang told AFP.
Pop Mart has bent the trend, spawning copycats called by social media users such as “Lafufus” and detailed YouTube videos on how to verify a doll’s authenticity.
Brands such as designer Womenswear Label Sehushu/Tong, Shanghai-based march and Beijing-based handbags Songmont have also received recognition abroad for the past few years.
“Perhaps it is just a matter of time before even more Chinese brands become globally recognizable,” Yang said.
Tiktok effect
Through viral exports like Labubu, China is “undergoing a soft change of power in which its products and image are increasingly cool among young Westerners,” said Allison Malmsten, an analyst at China-based Daxue Consulting.
Malmsten said she thought social media could increase China’s global image “similar to Japan in the 80s to the 2010s with Pokemon and Nintendo”.
Video app Tiktok-Designed by China’s city-dancing-lane way for Labubu’s ascent as it became the first Chinese-branded product that was indispensable for young people internationally.
Joshua Kurlantzick from the Council of Foreign Relations (CFR) told AFP The “Tiktok probably played a role in changing consumers’ minds about China”.
Tiktok, officially blocked in China, but still available with VPN software, has over a billion users, including what the company says is almost half of the US population.
The app has become a focus on national security fears in the United States, with a proposed ban that sees US Tiktok users flowing to another Chinese app, Rednote, where they were welcomed as digital “refugees”.
A cord for Chinese social media memes and fashion trends, Tiktok hosts over 1.7 million videos about Labubu.
Labubumania
Cultural Exports can “improve the image of China as a place that has companies that can produce globally attractive goods or services,” CFRS Kurlantzick told AFP.
“I don’t know how much, if at all, this affects images of China’s state or government,” he said, pointing to how South Korea’s undeniable soft power has not translated to similar levels of political power.
While Plush’s toys alone may not be translated into actual power, the united states’ chaotic global image of the Trump Presidency could benefit the perception of China, the University of Maryland’s Yang said.
“The connection many make between the apparent decline of American soft power, and the potential increase in China’s global image can reflect how deeply intertwined the two countries are in the minds of people whose lives are affected by both at the same time,” she told AFP.
At least Labubu’s charm seems to promote interest in China among the younger generation.
“It’s like a virus. Everyone just wants it,” Kazakhstani-mother told three batalova to AFP at Pop Mart’s theme park in Beijing.
Qatari Maryam Hammadi, 11, stood for photos in front of a giant Labubu statue.
“In our country they love Labubu,” she said.
“So when they are aware that the origin of Labubu is in China, they would like to see the different types of Labubu in China
