As we close out this investigative journey into Labubu, we’re left with one lingering question: is this all just a fad?
Because right now, everything about Pop Mart’s rise points in that direction. The founder claims these wide-eyed figures are “empty vessels” designed to hold your emotions— but what does that really mean? And more importantly, can that idea actually protect the brand’s future?
In the finale of our six-part series, we dive into the psychology behind this so-called blank canvas theory, and we take a look at the brand’s sustainability. Is Labubu a fleeting obsession? Or… is it a preview of how modern Chinese creativity is about to reshape global culture—and consumerism—as we know it?
Join me for the final chapter of the Labubu story.
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🌏 About Mandarin Unpeeled: Bite-sized explainers that unwrap how China really thinks, feels, and evolves, and how it is already impacting you — told by someone who’s lived, studied, and worked across both East and West.
References:
- Buddhist texts (《金刚经》 Heart Sutra on emptiness)
- POP MART’s IP design interviews (Kenny Wong, Labubu’s creator)
- Consumer behavior studies on "emotional blank slate" products (Journal of Marketing, 2021)
- The Popmart bubble: https://m.huxiu.com/article/4467916.html