Hot Chinese toymaker Pop Mart launches new pop culture magazine called Playground
The biannual publication, launched last week, featured actress and singer-songwriter Leah Dou on its cover. The first edition explores the theme of social connections and offers a selection of photos, comic strips and other visuals related to the topic.
'We decided on social because it kind of encapsulates many things [that are central to the experience of] the young generation,' said Vicson Guevara, Pop Mart's executive creative director and co-creator of the magazine, in an interview on Wednesday.
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'Social media is [one part of it],' he said. 'It's something that young people can't live without, but the other piece is relationships – real connections with people, which are closely tied to our brand value as well.'
The magazine's mission is to connect people and communities, Guevara said.
'By expanding our reach, we can unlock more possibilities for the Pop Mart brand, whether offline or online,' he said. 'This will open up new opportunities for our IPs, allow us to use Playground as a platform to connect with artists we admire and add value for both our customers and non-customers.'
Founded in 2010 in Beijing, Pop Mart has had a big year in terms of popularity thanks to the success of its original toy series, The Monsters , which takes inspiration from Norse mythology. Its fans include Lisa of K-pop group Blackpink and members of the Thai royal family.
Last year, the company's revenue rose 107 per cent from a year earlier to 13 billion yuan (US$1.8 billion), while its profit soared 188 per cent to 3.1 billion yuan. Overseas sales surged 375 per cent to 5.1 billion yuan, thanks to rapid growth in Southeast Asia and North America.
That momentum continued into the first quarter, with US sales up 900 per cent from a year earlier and 605 per cent higher in Europe. Sales were up 350 per cent in Asia and 100 per cent higher in China. Overseas sales now account for nearly 40 per cent of the company's total, according to the company's unaudited financial results that were published earlier in April.
Pop Mart's shares fell 2.07 per cent on Wednesday to HK$193.8 (US$25) after an undisclosed seller offloaded around 4.1 million shares at a 2.5 per cent discount to the company's Tuesday closing price, according to a Bloomberg report.
Playground magazine will be available for purchase through Pop Mart's online channels, select offline locations, as well as at global art book and magazine stores including Jetlag Books in Beijing and Casa Magazines in New York.
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