The collectable line of plushies, Labubu, became famous in late 2024 after BLACKPINK member Lisa was seen with one. This set a widespread trend in Asia that then spread all over the world and social media.

Labubu was created by Hong Kong-born Dutch artist Kasing Lung in 2015. It is a part of his “The Monsters” series illustrated books, which were inspired by Nordic mythology. Lung did a collaboration with the collectible company Pop Mart starting in 2019. This collaboration boosted the character’s popularity significantly and helped create the craze around the toys this year.

Pop Mart distributes Labubu products globally in a blind box packaging contributing an element of surprise and collector culture. The company designs and sells a wide variety of Labubu-themed products. They produce key chains, figurines, and plush toys. The plush toys come in different colors, sizes and themed outfits. Labubus sell for $30 dollars but if someone purchases a whole set, which includes six blind boxes, they will pay $167.

The reason for their high pricing is because of its elusive brand that creates scarcity, driving up demand and prices. The plushies have ultra rare figures that are super hard to find which increases its resale value. Celebrities like Rihanna and Dua Lipa, along with brands such as Coca-Cola have amplified the hype, boosting the dolls’ status.

The main reason Labubus went viral is due to the social media app Tiktok. The toys became viral on the app with unboxing videos and the sharing of different types of the dolls. They became a trend under the TikTok hashtags PopMart and Labubu. Many users livestream them buying Labubus and their reaction to opening the blind box. Besides being a social media hit, Labubus have also become a trend as bag charms and accessories.

Labubus are still trending today. Many see these plushies on bags, social media, and stores.