What Labubu Teaches Businesses About Viral Marketing

Forbes

05-06-2025

Labubu, the quirky plush toy sensation from parent company Pop Mart, is a masterclass in viral marketing.
It is truly Labubu mayhem - they sell out quickly, create brawls amongst hopeful collectors, and get resold for thousands of dollars.
But how did Pop Mart turn such an obscure, monster-life 'ugly-cute' doll into a sought-after collectible wanted by teens, adults, and celebrities worldwide?
While many factors come into play here, three crucial tactics can be learned from this success story: scarcity, storytelling, and social media. The good news is that many businesses can implement these tactics into their own marketing strategy to help reach and engage new customers.
Let's break them down.
In a world of fast-paced consumerism, trends, and convenience at our fingertips, it's no secret that humans are afraid of FOMO - the fear of missing out. POP Mart taps into this psychological phenomenon by creating limited drops of its Labubu products. You won't find these toys lining retail shelves 365 days a year.
These limited runs help to build obsession and urgency to purchase. For Labubu, this results in lines of collectors outside of stores around the world, waiting to get their hands on one of the little creatures.
Scarcity is a powerful marketing tactic for businesses.
Scarcity creates exclusivity and a sense of belonging to a community. Being one of the few lucky people to get their hands on a Labubu, they belong to an elite group, and they're not missing out on what their friends are enjoying and experiencing.
Businesses can incorporate scarcity into their own marketing by creating limited-time offers or product drops, and creating an exclusive community around the brand.
We humans love stories, and research has shown that stories may even help us feel more empathy and trust.
Kasing Lung, the creator of Labubu, is known for his affinity for storytelling. The character of Labubu first debuted back in 2015 in a series of picture books inspired by Nordic mythology.
Lung also utilizes storytelling with his Labubu plush toy creations. Every release has its own unique backstory, which infuses personality into the characters and helps collectors connect and engage with them on a deeper level.
Storytelling is essential to effective marketing. Businesses should look beyond just trying to sell their products and focus on building connection, trust, and loyalty to their brand through storytelling techniques, just like Labubu.
Last but not least, social media has played a pivotal role in Labubu's viral marketing success.
If you're lucky enough to get your hands on a Labubu, it comes in a 'blind box'. You don't know what character you have until you open it up. Because of this, Pop Mart encourages collectors to share their unboxings on social media.
The unboxing of these Labubu dolls has become an event that must be captured and shared with friends and family, resulting in countless pieces of user-generated content for Labubu across social media, particularly on TikTok.
This brings us back to our storytelling tactic - the unboxing event satisfies a narrative arc, starting with mystery, excitement, the big reveal, and, finally, joy at their discovery of which Labubu they've received. It's an emotional experience that draws people in and leaves collectors wanting more.
So how can you translate this to your own business?
While your products may not be in a blind box, consider how to create an experience for your customers that makes capturing and sharing it on social media irresistible. How can you encourage your customers to produce authentic, user-generated content that you can repurpose and share on your own channels?
While Labubu has reached viral heights that many can only dream of, its marketing masterclass teaches powerful lessons that businesses of any size can tap into to connect with their customers.