S1E15: Going Ga-Ga Over Labubu: Why?

Nov 14, 2024

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The Labubu craze exploded earlier in 2024 thanks to Blackpink's Lisa. What's keeping the love for Labubu going?

Synopsis: The Usual Place host Natasha Ann Zachariah hunts for new perspectives on issues that matter to young people.

Inspired by Scandinavian folklore, Labubu was created by Hong Kong-born artist Kasing Lung as part of his Monsters character series in 2015.

How do you know when a toy is a big deal?

When people are brazenly committing crimes to get it. And when hundreds of people queue overnight to be the first to get their hands on it. When fans get into shoving matches and the police have to be called.

Bakers make cakes in its image, while enterprising sellers offer product customisations like braces, make-up and custom identity cards.

Perhaps the true hallmarks of a product’s popularity are a hot reseller market and the existence of fake versions.

In a nutshell, these events describe the months-long craze over Labubu – the fanged little elf that everyone around the world is going gaga over.

Even though Labubu has been around since 2015, her star skyrocketed earlier in 2024 with a little bit of help from a popular K-pop star Lisa of Blackpink fame.

Distilling it for the people who don't get the hype, Natasha finds out what the hype is all about and why collectors enjoy these art toys so much.

To give her the download on all things 'LBB', Jeremy Lee, 44, the business director for South-east Asia at Pop Mart International and Yumiko Kayahara, 35, a KISS92 FM DJ, join her on The Usual Place to explain the current craze.

Pop Mart is the international brand that owns the exclusive rights to the Labubu intellectual property (IP).

From being a “kidult” to how Pop Mart is keeping up with the demand, they chat with Natasha in this wide-ranging interview on why this plushie has people going ga-ga.

Highlights (click/tap above):

4:55 The celebrity endorsement effect

13:10 The reseller market and fakes on the market

20:15 Customisations and copyright of Labubu - will Pop Mart do something about it?

26:24 Who is a “kidult”?

36:21 Will Pop Mart have another toy that matches Labubu’s popularity?

6 things you did not know about Labubu: https://str.sg/dNhY

Host: Natasha Zachariah (natashaz@sph.com.sg)

Follow Natasha on her IG account and DM her your thoughts on this topic: https://str.sg/8Wav

Read Natasha's articles: https://str.sg/iSXm

Follow Natasha on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/v6DN

Filmed by: Studio+65

Edited by ST Podcast producers: Eden Soh & Teo Tong Kai

Executive producers: Ernest Luis & Lynda Hong

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