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Time of India
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Cutie and the Beast
A strange little creature with a mischievous smile that stretches wider than it should. Nine pointed teeth flashing at you. Glassy eyes that gleam and seem to hold a secret. Sounds like the stuff of bad dreams? No. Just a $420-million pop culture phenomenon. Labubu , one of Chinese toymaker Pop Mart 's hottest properties, has generated over $420 million in 2024 alone, about 24% of the company's total revenue. Not too bad for something that's considered 'ugly-cute'. 'Labubu's success is a brilliant example of bold character design, heartfelt storytelling and irresistible collectability, which has turned the toy into a global icon. People crave more than [just] play; they seek connection, identity and artistry,' says Suhasini Paul, a toy designer who has created more than 400 toys, including surprise toys for Kinder Joy . In Labubu's case, Paul says, traditional notions of cuteness are being challenged, which makes it more memorable. The expressive facial design plays a huge role too. 'That emotional depth helps fans form a strong connection. And it's instantly recognisable. The toy is a great example of a character designed for both visual impact and collectability,' she adds. Success factor Jatin Varma, founder and ex-CEO, Comic Con India, points out how not too many people even knew what a Labubu was until just a few months ago. But once 'a BLACKPINK member [Lisa] was seen with one, it's the internet's new favourite thing'. 'Shelves filled up overnight, resellers priced it like limited sneakers, and people started dropping words like 'collector' and 'fan' as if they'd grown up with it,' he says. So, in a way, the Labubu's success is down to it being at the right place at the right time. 'It's fascinating, the speed at which something can go from niche to a status symbol. Not because of the story, not because of meaning, but because it entered the right frame, in the right photo, with the right person,' says Varma. The element of surprise is another marketing tactic that worked in Labubu's favour. 'The fact that you don't know what you're buying, so there's always a surprise in every box. I think there are various bits, which added to its craze,' says Abhijit Avasthi, founder, Sideways Consulting. Blind box marketing There's no secret sauce to marketing ugly-cute. You just have to lean into what makes the product stand out, experts say. 'I feel the basics remain the same, which is building on the attributes and peculiarities, and building an interesting, engaging personality for the product. You have to fight convention many times in categories as well as fight category codes. The idea is to charm people into liking and admiring what you're offering,' says Avasthi. So, how marketable is ugly-cute? Designers are always trying to push the line between ugly and cute, says Joshua Paul Dale, an academic who teaches courses on the phenomenon of 'cuteness' at Japan's Chuo University. 'If they go too far, fewer people will feel attracted to it. If they get the balance just right, they have a hit on their hands. There's no magic formula. There are many failed products for every successful one. Endless variations, along with blind box marketing, can make people feel that there's always a delightful surprise waiting around the corner,' Dale says. Building a personality Thanks to Labubus, the ugly-cute aesthetic is having a moment — but it's nothing new. 'One of the earliest examples is the way Volkswagen launched the Beetle decades ago. There was a print campaign, and it would clearly say, yes, it's an ugly car, but that's OK — it's hyper practical,' explains Avasthi, saying that they built a personality for the car: Very self-effacing and not shy of taking a dig at its own looks because it was an ordinary car. 'Ugly-cute branding is not just about tolerating the unconventional — it's about transforming it into identity. And often, the key lies in turning what seems like a weakness into a bold, lovable differentiator,' adds Ashwini Deshpande, founder, Elephant Design. Embrace the odd 'We've seen a cultural shift, especially among Gen Z , towards embracing the unconventional and quirky. Young adults have a strong affinity with characters that they feel a connection with and that reflect a sense of individuality,' shares Alex Baillie, vice-president and general manager, Disney Consumer Products, South Asia Pacific, The Walt Disney Company. Another standout example of ugly-cute is Disney's Stitch character from Lilo & Stitch . 'This summer in India, we saw phenomenal traction —Stitch's playful spirit and cross-generational appeal makes him a standout in storytelling and retail,' Baillie says, adding that Disney is 'leaning into the personalities and values of our characters… Audiences respond to authenticity, and that's what we focus on'. If you're not authentic, Varma cautions, your product will 'move too fast, mean too little and leave almost nothing behind except shelf clutter and algorithm residue'. Another key question is, what should be the ratio of ugly to cute while designing ugly-cute products? 'It's important that the design has enough cuteness so that our immediate response is 'it's cute'. In other words, cute with a bit of ugly thrown in has the best chance of success,' says Dale. Conquering cuteness In an Instagrammable world curated to perfection, ugly-cute stands out as a rare thread of authenticity amid the gloss of AI and Photoshop touch-ups. But what does success look like in this landscape? Is it about fleeting virality or sustained fandom? 'Success isn't a one-size fits-all — it depends on the brand's ambition and category. But a few forms of success can emerge,' says Deshpande. It can be cultural virality — gaining immediate visibility through social media, memes, influencer unboxings and online reactions. 'I can think of slimy toys that went viral and became part of the subculture of ugly-cute. Over time, some of the characters even attain fandom,' she elaborates. Another example is merchandise and brand licensing. 'When a not-so-cute toy or a character evolves into a cult brand, it can unlock other revenue streams like apparel, content, stickers, etc. Think of the SpongeBob SquarePants,' Deshpande adds. Finally, success comes from longevity, through consistency. Cute, ugly, authentic or clever, Paul describes the virality of the Labubu best, saying, 'Design created the magic, marketing turned it into a global phenomenon.' Own the Ugly 'The human mind is always intrigued by the unusual and unexpected,' says Ashwini Deshpande, founder of Elephant Design. She explains that some brands deliberately use contrast and emotional dissonance as strategies to capture attention. According to Deshpande, there are various approaches a brand can take when marketing a product that doesn't fit traditional ideas of being 'cute' or 'aesthetic'. Own the ugly: Instead of hiding the oddity, brands celebrate it. Think of the success of Crocs: What began as awkward soon became iconic because the brand stood by its form. And now, it is even adding cute with an array of flawed beauty: Brands build emotional hooks around imperfection through humour, rebellion or even nostalgia. The Japanese wabi-sabi philosophy is all about finding beauty in imperfection. French hypermarket chain Intermarché made a business out of it by launching 'UGLY Fruit & Vegetables' followed by with intention: The 'ugly' isn't careless; it's crafted. Strategic colour palettes, character traits and packaging aesthetics elevate it from being merely unattractive to 'ugly-cute' or 'so-bad-it's-good'. Labubu toy monsters are a perfect example of tactile or sensory joys: A toy, accessory or dish may look unconventional, but as long as it feels satisfying, it wins people over with the play value rather than visual/ functional or taste appeal. Ugly squishy marshmallows are a thing. Etsy even has a whole section on 'ugly cute squishy'.
Indian Express
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Indian mythology is ready for its anime moment. We just need the format
A few years ago, at a Comic Con India event, someone asked me if India could ever have its own anime or manga moment — a global, cultural phenomenon that felt unmistakably ours. I said yes, but not in the way most people expect. For Japan, that moment came through manga. For India, the answer lies in mythology. And to be clear, I don't mean mythology as religion or a teaching aid. I mean mythology as worldbuilding — character-driven, morally messy, emotionally resonant storytelling that already exists in our cultural archives. But for decades, we have treated these stories either as textbooks (Amar Chitra Katha) or children's cartoons (like Bheem or Roll No. 21). These were never created with global audiences in mind — and that's fine. They were not meant for global export. But that leaves a space open. A space where the format, and not the story, is the missing piece. We already have the stories India doesn't lack material. Mythology, folklore, and even history offer an incredible foundation. What we lack is the packaging that allows it to scale — emotionally, structurally, and globally. What manga and anime do exceptionally well is build internal logic. They create emotional systems where the characters and the world evolve in sync. Take Naruto, for example. A story of an outsider seeking acceptance has universal appeal. The storytelling structure allows that emotion to grow over hundreds of chapters. Indian epics are full of similar arcs. Take, for instance, Karna, the loyalist who's never fully accepted. He is one of the most layered characters in any mythos, anywhere. His story is powerful because it's human. The question, therefore, isn't whether we have great stories. The question is: why haven't we told them in a way the world can follow? Comics could be our way in Serialised storytelling, especially in comics, allows for emotional depth to unfold over time. It's sustainable, cost-effective, and creator-first. Unlike streaming or film, comics don't require massive budgets or gatekeepers. You just start. This is why I believe comics could be our format. Manga didn't begin as a global movement. It began as something local, handmade, and deeply committed to storytelling. The same applies to the Franco-Belgian graphic novel space. (Think Tintin or Asterix.) In India, we have seen glimmers of this. Zines, self-published comics or fan art often tell original stories rooted in culture or mythology. Some are directly inspired by epics. Others take inspiration from mood, theme, or texture. The point is: creators are already doing the work. We just haven't built the infrastructure to support them yet. Why existing work didn't scale It's worth acknowledging that India has had decades of mythology-driven content from Amar Chitra Katha to television serials to kid-friendly animations. But none of these were built with a global audience in mind. They were made to educate or entertain within a specific cultural context. That's a different goal from building long-term IP. Anime became what it is because it trusted the emotional beats to land. Most Indian mythology adaptations to date haven't taken that creative risk. Even something like Baahubali, which became a global hit, largely found success through diaspora communities. It opened the door and arguably helped platforms like Netflix consider titles like RRR, which then reached wider audiences (though often for different reasons). What we actually need Japan's anime ecosystem didn't happen overnight. It was built on a supply chain of writers, illustrators, editors, and animators supported by publishers who understood fan culture. India doesn't need to replicate that exactly, but we do need the scaffolding. That could look like: Once the story exists, it builds its own following, not through hype, but through connection. It's already happening — quietly Year after year, fans walk into Comic Con India, dressed as characters from anime, K-dramas, or Western IPs. But more recently, I have also seen creators tabling with their original zines, webcomics, and story-driven prints. To name a few, publishers such as IndusVerse, Holy Cow Entertainment, Yali Dream Creations, and Bullseye Press are creating new, unique Indian comics, some of it rooted in mythology, others exploring pulp, sci-fi, horror, and grounded fiction. What matters is that they are building original IP. India doesn't need a mythology moment. We have had that for centuries. What we need now is to look at that mythology — and our other stories — through a new lens, in a new format, with a wider ambition. The stories are already here. We just need to tell them differently. The writer is the founder of Comic Con India.
Time of India
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Banijay in strategic partnership with Nodwin to co-develop IPs, formats
Banijay Asia , part of Banijay Entertainment, has entered a strategic partnership with Nodwin Gaming , a subsidiary of Nazara Technologies , to expand their footprint in India's growing gaming and youth entertainment landscape. As part of the collaboration, Banijay Asia will produce Playground, Nodwin Gaming's flagship gaming reality show that blends gaming, entertainment, and influencer culture. The two companies also plan to co-develop new content formats and intellectual properties (IPs), including scripted and reality programming aimed at younger audiences. Deepak Dhar, Founder & Group CEO – Banijay Asia & Endemol Shine India, said, 'This collaboration with Nodwin Gaming is an exciting extension of our vision to create content that resonates with evolving youth audiences. Gaming is not just a sport; it's a culture, a lifestyle, and a massive content opportunity. With Playground and our upcoming IPs, we aim to redefine engagement and storytelling in this space.' He added, 'I look forward to the creative collaboration with Akshat Rathee, and Joost Roset who we previously worked with, in bringing iconic global IPs to India. This is an invaluable opportunity to create clutter-breaking formats in the youth and gaming space.' Nodwin Gaming brings to the table a portfolio of well-known properties including BGMI Masters Series, Comic Con India, and NH7 Weekender. The company has been active in creating gaming and esports formats across multiple platforms and regions. Akshat Rathee, Co-Founder & MD, Nodwin Gaming, said, "Youth entertainment is evolving rapidly, and our partnership with Banijay Asia positions us perfectly to lead that change. With Playground, we've just begun to explore what's possible. Backed by Banijay's global expertise, we're now set to scale the IP across multiple languages and markets, with the ambition of building an international format. At the heart of our approach is our philosophy of 'timeshare of mindshare'. We're not just creating content, we're creating cultural moments. The Rusk creative team will stay actively involved as we expand the universe of Playground, aiming to grow from one show to between five and ten each year. This is just the beginning of a bold new chapter in gaming and youth content."
