Blind Box, mysterious boxes containing interesting surprises have become the “door” that brings many people to the world of Art Toys. Although it has been present in Vietnam for a long time, it is only in recent years that the Art Toys market has really “exploded” and become a trend sought after by young people. From a rather quiet market, Art Toys has become a cultural phenomenon, creating a vibrant and diverse community.
The "Lisa Effect" has created an unprecedented fever for Labubu and the Pop Mart brand. Images of adorable Labubu rabbits have flooded social media platforms, becoming a "trend" that is enthusiastically responded to by young people. Thanks to that, Pop Mart has affirmed its position as one of the world's leading toy brands.
The return of the toy empire with the "billion-dollar" fever
Labubu "rabbit monster" was created by Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung in 2015, possessing a unique appearance with long ears, sharp teeth, round eyes and a mischievous smile. At first glance, Labubu can hardly be called cute or beautiful by conventional standards. However, it is his unique personality and humor that create a distinct appeal, making this "rabbit monster" stand out and attract attention.
BLACKPINK's personality actively promotes this toy, contributing to making it a global trend.
In 2015, Labubu joined POP MART's "army" of art toys. Here, Labubu was given a new look, rounder and cuter, contributing to conquering the hearts of many fans. Initially, Labubu was created for the purpose of displaying, decorating and satisfying the passion for collecting for Art Toys players. However, in early 2024, the "rabbit monster" suddenly broke out of the boundaries of art toys, entering the colorful world of fashion.
In April 2024, Lisa - a famous member of the group BLACKPINK posted several photos holding a Labubu teddy bear on her personal Instagram. She also showed off that she had bought a new collection and was excited to match it with her outfit. According to The Nation Thailand, just one moment of Lisa hugging Labubu caused the price of this toy to skyrocket by 400%. Labubu-related items sold out in a short time.
Young people love new things, hunt for limited things and don't want to miss out on trends. Therefore, they are willing to spend time and money to conquer them.
On social media, audiences also created a trend, looking to buy bears that resemble Lisa's. Labubu's appeal combined with Lisa's influence has made young people "crazy" about sharp-toothed rabbits. The Nation Thailand reported that the Tourism Authority of Thailand has cooperated with Chinese toy company Pop Mart (the manufacturer of Labubu's products) to bring the Labubu model to Thailand to promote tourism and cuisine.
In particular, the strong spread on social networking platforms such as TikTok, Facebook, Instagram... also made Labubu a "fever" among young people. Even many famous people, KOLs, KOCs in Vietnam posted many pictures and videos of owning this toy, making many people more curious and interested in buying it.
"Rabbit Monster" was created by Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung in 2015, possessing a unique appearance with long ears, sharp teeth, round eyes and a mischievous smile.
Moreover, many people are now hunting for Labubu by playing raffle via livestream. Accordingly, players (about 10-20 people) will bet 55,000-150,000 VND, depending on the shop's requirements. Then, the shop will draw to determine the lucky winner to get Labubu, even a limited edition. Therefore, to satisfy the winning mentality, many young people have spent millions to hunt for "rabbit monsters" in this way.
However, it is the unique personality and humor that create a distinct appeal, making this "rabbit monster" stand out and attract attention.
"Exorbitant" price but still sold out
According to a survey, Labubu related products are currently quite diverse, including models, stuffed animals, keychains, phone cases, printed handbags... Genuine prices range from 200,000 VND to more than 20 million VND per product.
According to data from Metric - an e-commerce market data analysis platform - Labubu-related products brought in nearly VND5.2 billion on Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok Shop in the second quarter, an increase of 665% compared to the first quarter of the year.
This is a sudden growth when art toys have been a hot product in recent months.
Specifically, in the second quarter, on TikTok Shop, 43 shops recorded a total revenue of more than 3 billion VND from selling 145,129 products related to this toy, an increase of 2,786% compared to the first quarter. Meanwhile, on Shopee and Lazada, Labubu-related items were sold by 116 shops with 19,500 products, bringing in 2.2 billion VND, an increase of 278% compared to the first quarter.
Beware of bargain prices, or you'll lose both money and health because of counterfeit goods.
Taking advantage of the desire to get Labubu, many scammers have also started to "interfere" in the sales transactions, hoping to steal customers' money. Many victims have posted "exposes", warning other users about the scam.
Although buying Labubu online brings convenience and more choices, it also has many potential risks. Hunting for rare Labubu models makes many people easily attracted by cheap offers, unique products, leading to the situation of buying fake and poor quality products. Therefore, when shopping online, you need to be very alert, carefully check the product information as well as the reputation of the seller to avoid "losing money and getting sick".
