The Labubu plush monsters from China's POP MART, a leading pop culture toy brand, have swept the globe, becoming a new representative of Chinese cultural exports and gaining popularity even in regions with more negative public opinions towards China such as Europe and North America.

The Labubu monster dolls, featuring fluffy textures and sharp teeth, launched by China's toy manufacturer POP MART, are taking the world by storm. They not only attract consumers to queue up at stores for purchase but also have become decorative elements on celebrities like Rihanna and Cher's handbags.

This Beijing-based company is part of the wave of Chinese cultural products "going global." Even in regions where China has a more negative impression, such as Europe and North America, Labubu has become a representation of "cool China" plush toys.

Labubu dolls are usually sold at around $40 each, using the "blind box" model, where consumers cannot predict which version they will get upon purchase.

Lucy Hitova, an interior designer in London, told AFP: "These dolls are somewhat strange and even a bit ugly, but they are very inclusive, and everyone can find resonance in them." Due to concerns about fan chaos during purchases, the store has suspended offline sales of Labubu products. "Everything can go viral on social media now... It's really cool and different."

In comparison, neighboring South Korea and Japan have long been renowned globally for their high-end fashion, films, and pop music, while China has struggled to break into the international cultural market, with its most well-known clothing export brand still being fast-fashion platform Shein.

China's manufacturing industry has long faced the stereotype of being "cheap and low-quality," with few successful cases in building high-end self-brands.

"It has always been difficult for global consumers to view China as a branding nation," said Fan Yang, a communication scholar at the University of Maryland, to AFP.

POP MART has broken this limitation, even sparking "knock-off Labubu" on social media, which netizens jokingly call "lafufu." Numerous videos on YouTube have emerged teaching how to identify genuine Labubu products.

In recent years, other Chinese original brands have gradually gained overseas attention, such as independent women's wear brand Shushu/Tong, Shanghai-based Marchen, and Beijing-based handbag brand Songmont.

"Perhaps it's just a matter of time before more Chinese brands gain global recognition," said Yang.

A New Path for China's Soft Power

Through cultural products like Labubu that have gone viral online, China is "undergoing a soft power transformation, becoming increasingly cool among Western youth," said Alison Malmsten, an analyst at market research firm Daxue Consulting.

She believes that social media may help China establish a global image similar to that formed by Pokémon and Nintendo in Japan between the 1980s and 2010s.

TikTok, a video application developed by China-based ByteDance, paved the way for Labubu's international popularity and became the first Chinese brand product indispensable in the lives of young people worldwide.

"TikTok likely played a role in changing consumer perceptions of China," said Joshua Kurlantzick, an analyst at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), to AFP.

TikTok has over one billion global users, with approximately half being American users.

TikTok has thus become a focus of U.S. national security concerns and even faces proposals for bans. As American users flock to another Chinese application, Xiaohongshu, these users have humorously been called "digital refugees."

As a medium for spreading Chinese social culture and trends, TikTok already features over 1.7 million videos related to Labubu.

"The Labubu virus" is also changing the interest of young people in China.

"Cultural exports can improve China's image as a country capable of producing globally appealing products or services," said Kurlantzick.

However, he pointed out that whether this cultural influence can change people's perceptions of China remains unclear. He mentioned that even with South Korea's strong soft power, it has not seen a corresponding increase in political influence.

Although plush toys themselves are unlikely to translate into hard power, Fan Yang from the University of Maryland noted that amidst the confusion of America's global image under Trump's administration, this contrast might make China appear more attractive to outsiders.

"People often link the decline of America's soft power with the rise of China's global image, reflecting that in many people's minds, these two countries are intertwined, and their policies and images directly affect people's lives."

At least among the younger generation, Labubu's charm has successfully sparked their interest in China.

"It's like a virus; everyone wants it," said Annelia Batalova, a mother of three from Kazakhstan, at the POP MART theme park in Beijing.

Mariam Hamadi, an 11-year-old girl from Qatar, took a photo in front of a huge Labubu statue.

"In our country, everyone likes Labubu," she said. "So when they discover that Labubu originated in China, they want to come here to see all kinds of different Labubu."

Source: DW

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7518591424649970176/

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