Jul 18, 2025
8 MIN READ
Case Studies
Case Studies
Labubu Dolls and Viral Marketing: How Influencers Made It a Trend
Labubu Dolls and Viral Marketing: How Influencers Made It a Trend
Labubu Dolls and Viral Marketing: How Influencers Made It a Trend
Nandini Tripathi
Nandini Tripathi
Nandini Tripathi
Nandini Tripathi
Content Marketer @impulze.ai
Sections
Blog in Short ⏱️
Blog in Short ⏱️
A quick glance at the highlights—perfect for when you're short on time.
A quick glance at the highlights—perfect for when you're short on time.
What do you get when you mix a quirky doll, unfiltered creativity, and a few scroll-stopping creators? A viral sensation.
In this blog, you’ll learn:
✅ How Labubu dolls went from niche collectibles to global social media stars
✅ The exact tactics influencers used to turn a toy into a lifestyle icon
✅ What Lisa from BLACKPINK had to do with the explosion
✅ Why BTS content, nostalgia, and storytelling mattered more than big budgets
✅ How to use Collab Finder (built into Impulze) to discover which creators made it all happen
✅ And finally, how your brand can apply the same psychology to go viral in 2025
At first glance, Labubu dolls are just odd little collectibles. Fuzzy ears, wide eyes, and tiny vampire-like teeth. They’re part cute, part creepy, and completely addictive. But in early 2024, something strange happened. Labubu dolls began to appear in the most unexpected places.
Instagram Reels. TikTok hauls. Skincare flat-lays. Even luxury travel content. There was no billboard campaign. No celebrity spokesperson. Yet, Labubu took over the internet. Behind this sudden rise? Influencers who knew how to create emotional, scroll-stopping stories.
How the Labubu Doll Craze Started
Labubu is one of the characters from POP MART, a Chinese company known for its blind-box designer toys. While the brand was already popular among collectors in Asia, it hadn't yet cracked the global mainstream.
That changed when a few lifestyle and art influencers outside China started posting about Labubu; not just as a toy but as a character in their content.
A beauty creator used it as a “skincare buddy” during a night routine.
A travel vlogger filmed Labubu peeking out of airplane windows and hotel bathtubs.
A bookstagrammer gave Labubu a tiny reading corner in their flat lay.
Instead of reviewing the doll, the creators made Labubu part of their daily life. The posts felt authentic and whimsical, which helped followers fall in love with the character. The approach wasn’t accidental, but it was deeply rooted in how trends now spread online.
Why Influencers Were the Perfect Channel
Labubu’s rise was about alignment with how people feel, remember, and share online and not just influencer outreach. The campaign got into four psychological drivers that influencers are uniquely equipped to trigger:
1. Curiosity: The Scroll-Stopping Effect
Labubu’s design was intentionally ambiguous. It didn’t fit neatly into any one category: part creature, part cartoon, part collectible. That sense of visual confusion worked in its favor. When creators featured Labubu in an unexpected setting, like a skincare routine or next to a bowl of ramen, it sparked intrigue. Viewers paused, zoomed in, and often went to the comments to ask, “What is that thing?”
That curiosity loop is what platforms like TikTok and Instagram reward. The more people engage to figure something out, the more reach a post gets. Influencers know this and design content to trigger that scroll-stopping question mark.
2. Nostalgia: Emotional Recall and Fandom Energy
Labubu looked like something that should have existed in the early 2000s. Its collectible vibe reminded users of Tamagotchis, Beanie Babies, or Japanese anime figurines. Millennials saw it as a throwback. Gen Z found it oddly familiar from the “weirdcore” and “kidulting” aesthetics popular online.
Influencers leaned into this by pairing Labubu with nostalgic items: Polaroids, retro snacks, vintage mirrors. These visuals activated memory and emotion, making the content not just interesting, but comforting. Nostalgia is one of the strongest drivers of online engagement. Influencers are masters at blending current trends with childhood feels, and Labubu slotted in perfectly.
3. Storytelling: Making Products Feel Alive
Instead of just saying, “here’s a cool doll,” influencers turned Labubu into a character. Some gave it names, voices, and personalities. Others shot full “day in the life” content featuring Labubu going on errands, sipping coffee, or reading a book. It was project placement and relationship building. Viewers didn’t just like the doll; they connected with it as if it were a tiny digital friend.
For instance, Emma Roberts, the American actress and singer, opened a Labubu box during her trip, and that moment kicked off her obsession and made the character feel personal. The way she shared it felt more like a memory than a promotion. It showed how a simple unboxing can turn into emotional storytelling.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DKVEtv5yleg/?hl=en
And that’s the power of influencer storytelling without making it look like an ad. It transforms static products into emotional experiences. Labubu became a story people wanted to follow.
4. Shareability: Built for Trends and Reposts
Labubu wasn’t bulky or branded in a way that limited creators. Its compact size, photogenic design, and expressive face made it a perfect fit for visual trends like:
Pocket POVs: Content showing what small objects “see” in a big world
Mini adventures: Taking Labubu to cafés, parks, or trips
Meme formats: Adding sarcastic captions or ironic voiceovers
Because the product was flexible and fun to shoot, creators had infinite ways to use it. That’s the kind of content people not only like but also remix, repost, and recreate.
A Real Example: BLACKPINK’s Lisa Takes Labubu Mainstream
A major boost for Labubu came when Lisa from BLACKPINK was spotted with her own Labubu keychain clipped to her handbag in 2024. That moment quickly turned into a viral frenzy as fans everywhere started asking where they could buy one.
Later, Lisa called Labubu her “secret obsession” in a Vanity Fair video, saying, “When I fly to New York, I go to Miami... I try to find Pop Mart there.” This wasn’t a scripted endorsement. It felt real. And that authenticity made it powerful.
Once Lisa was seen with Labubu, other celebrities began joining the wave. Rihanna, Kim Kardashian, Dua Lipa, and even David Beckham were photographed with Labubu figures or accessories. These sightings pushed the product beyond niche collectors and into the world of mainstream fashion and pop culture.
Here’s how it unfolded:
Fashion bloggers posted close-up shots of Labubu hanging from luxury handbags.
Some micro-influencers on TikTok and major creators recreated Lisa’s style using Labubu in everyday moments.
Celebrity fan accounts exploded with content asking, “Did you see Lisa’s Labubu?”.
What started as a cute accessory quickly became a status symbol. Lisa’s subtle moment turned into a cultural spark that helped Labubu cross over into global virality.
What Brands Can Learn From Labubu
You don’t need a massive advertising budget to launch a cult product but need to approach storytelling like a creator. Here’s what Labubu teaches us:
Think Narrative, Not Product
Labubu was introduced as a character that fit into people’s lives. Ask yourself, how would your product live inside a creator’s story?
Empower, Don’t Script
Most viral Labubu posts had zero ad disclosures. That’s because many weren’t paid. Even when they were, POP MART didn’t give rigid scripts. Creators with freedom will almost always deliver more engaging content.
Target Passion, Not Just Audience Size
Labubu was shared by micro and niche creators. Their engagement rates were high because they genuinely loved the product. That authenticity spread faster than any high-budget campaign could.
Ride Trends, Don’t Force Them
Labubu became part of the “cottagecore” aesthetic and weirdcore TikTok. It blended in instead of trying to dominate. That integration helped it feel organic.
Behind-the-Scenes Content Helped Fuel the Trend
Another smart move? Leaning into BTS content.
Unboxings, packaging reviews, and limited edition reveals became micro-events. Influencers and influencer collaborations showed off everything from the sound the box made when opening to the texture of Labubu’s fur. This kind of content made the product feel more tangible and desirable.
It also allowed audiences to “experience” the product before buying, which increased conversion and FOMO.
Use This Free Tool to See Who Made Labubu Viral
Want to reverse-engineer which influencers helped make Labubu a trend? One of the easiest ways is to use Collab Finder, a free tool inside Impulze that shows you exactly which creators have worked with any brand on Instagram.
You can instantly view the list of influencers who posted about them, along with real engagement data, follower counts, and even suggestions for similar creators you can reach out to. This is how many marketers now skip the guesswork and build creator strategies based on what’s already working. Tools like Collab Finder make it fast, simple, and free to get the intel you need.
You’ll see:
Who posted
When they posted
Their follower count and real engagement
Similar creators in your niche
This lets you build your own creator strategy without guesswork.
What This Means for Future Product Launches
Labubu shows that the best influencer marketing trends and campaigns in 2025 are no longer just about reach.
They are about:
Participation: Fans felt part of the trend. They started sharing their own Labubu stories.
Playfulness: The product was fun to style, shoot, and meme. That made it irresistible.
Creative Trust: Influencers were treated as collaborators. Influencer collaborations gave them space to surprise the audience.
Whether you’re launching a toy, a planner, or a pet product, you can use the same recipe. Start by thinking, how would a creator naturally play with this?
Final Thoughts: What Labubu Taught Us
Labubu didn’t go viral by chance. The product clicked with the right audience at the right time. Influencers helped shape the story in a way that felt personal and real.
If you're a brand trying to build buzz, you don’t need to outspend everyone. You need to out-story them. And to do that, you’ll need the right tools, the right creators, and the courage to let them play.
Start with trace.impulze.ai to see who’s already building trends. Ready to launch your own campaign? Explore impulze.ai for discovery, outreach, and content planning, built in.
At first glance, Labubu dolls are just odd little collectibles. Fuzzy ears, wide eyes, and tiny vampire-like teeth. They’re part cute, part creepy, and completely addictive. But in early 2024, something strange happened. Labubu dolls began to appear in the most unexpected places.
Instagram Reels. TikTok hauls. Skincare flat-lays. Even luxury travel content. There was no billboard campaign. No celebrity spokesperson. Yet, Labubu took over the internet. Behind this sudden rise? Influencers who knew how to create emotional, scroll-stopping stories.
How the Labubu Doll Craze Started
Labubu is one of the characters from POP MART, a Chinese company known for its blind-box designer toys. While the brand was already popular among collectors in Asia, it hadn't yet cracked the global mainstream.
That changed when a few lifestyle and art influencers outside China started posting about Labubu; not just as a toy but as a character in their content.
A beauty creator used it as a “skincare buddy” during a night routine.
A travel vlogger filmed Labubu peeking out of airplane windows and hotel bathtubs.
A bookstagrammer gave Labubu a tiny reading corner in their flat lay.
Instead of reviewing the doll, the creators made Labubu part of their daily life. The posts felt authentic and whimsical, which helped followers fall in love with the character. The approach wasn’t accidental, but it was deeply rooted in how trends now spread online.
Why Influencers Were the Perfect Channel
Labubu’s rise was about alignment with how people feel, remember, and share online and not just influencer outreach. The campaign got into four psychological drivers that influencers are uniquely equipped to trigger:
1. Curiosity: The Scroll-Stopping Effect
Labubu’s design was intentionally ambiguous. It didn’t fit neatly into any one category: part creature, part cartoon, part collectible. That sense of visual confusion worked in its favor. When creators featured Labubu in an unexpected setting, like a skincare routine or next to a bowl of ramen, it sparked intrigue. Viewers paused, zoomed in, and often went to the comments to ask, “What is that thing?”
That curiosity loop is what platforms like TikTok and Instagram reward. The more people engage to figure something out, the more reach a post gets. Influencers know this and design content to trigger that scroll-stopping question mark.
2. Nostalgia: Emotional Recall and Fandom Energy
Labubu looked like something that should have existed in the early 2000s. Its collectible vibe reminded users of Tamagotchis, Beanie Babies, or Japanese anime figurines. Millennials saw it as a throwback. Gen Z found it oddly familiar from the “weirdcore” and “kidulting” aesthetics popular online.
Influencers leaned into this by pairing Labubu with nostalgic items: Polaroids, retro snacks, vintage mirrors. These visuals activated memory and emotion, making the content not just interesting, but comforting. Nostalgia is one of the strongest drivers of online engagement. Influencers are masters at blending current trends with childhood feels, and Labubu slotted in perfectly.
3. Storytelling: Making Products Feel Alive
Instead of just saying, “here’s a cool doll,” influencers turned Labubu into a character. Some gave it names, voices, and personalities. Others shot full “day in the life” content featuring Labubu going on errands, sipping coffee, or reading a book. It was project placement and relationship building. Viewers didn’t just like the doll; they connected with it as if it were a tiny digital friend.
For instance, Emma Roberts, the American actress and singer, opened a Labubu box during her trip, and that moment kicked off her obsession and made the character feel personal. The way she shared it felt more like a memory than a promotion. It showed how a simple unboxing can turn into emotional storytelling.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DKVEtv5yleg/?hl=en
And that’s the power of influencer storytelling without making it look like an ad. It transforms static products into emotional experiences. Labubu became a story people wanted to follow.
4. Shareability: Built for Trends and Reposts
Labubu wasn’t bulky or branded in a way that limited creators. Its compact size, photogenic design, and expressive face made it a perfect fit for visual trends like:
Pocket POVs: Content showing what small objects “see” in a big world
Mini adventures: Taking Labubu to cafés, parks, or trips
Meme formats: Adding sarcastic captions or ironic voiceovers
Because the product was flexible and fun to shoot, creators had infinite ways to use it. That’s the kind of content people not only like but also remix, repost, and recreate.
A Real Example: BLACKPINK’s Lisa Takes Labubu Mainstream
A major boost for Labubu came when Lisa from BLACKPINK was spotted with her own Labubu keychain clipped to her handbag in 2024. That moment quickly turned into a viral frenzy as fans everywhere started asking where they could buy one.
Later, Lisa called Labubu her “secret obsession” in a Vanity Fair video, saying, “When I fly to New York, I go to Miami... I try to find Pop Mart there.” This wasn’t a scripted endorsement. It felt real. And that authenticity made it powerful.
Once Lisa was seen with Labubu, other celebrities began joining the wave. Rihanna, Kim Kardashian, Dua Lipa, and even David Beckham were photographed with Labubu figures or accessories. These sightings pushed the product beyond niche collectors and into the world of mainstream fashion and pop culture.
Here’s how it unfolded:
Fashion bloggers posted close-up shots of Labubu hanging from luxury handbags.
Some micro-influencers on TikTok and major creators recreated Lisa’s style using Labubu in everyday moments.
Celebrity fan accounts exploded with content asking, “Did you see Lisa’s Labubu?”.
What started as a cute accessory quickly became a status symbol. Lisa’s subtle moment turned into a cultural spark that helped Labubu cross over into global virality.
What Brands Can Learn From Labubu
You don’t need a massive advertising budget to launch a cult product but need to approach storytelling like a creator. Here’s what Labubu teaches us:
Think Narrative, Not Product
Labubu was introduced as a character that fit into people’s lives. Ask yourself, how would your product live inside a creator’s story?
Empower, Don’t Script
Most viral Labubu posts had zero ad disclosures. That’s because many weren’t paid. Even when they were, POP MART didn’t give rigid scripts. Creators with freedom will almost always deliver more engaging content.
Target Passion, Not Just Audience Size
Labubu was shared by micro and niche creators. Their engagement rates were high because they genuinely loved the product. That authenticity spread faster than any high-budget campaign could.
Ride Trends, Don’t Force Them
Labubu became part of the “cottagecore” aesthetic and weirdcore TikTok. It blended in instead of trying to dominate. That integration helped it feel organic.
Behind-the-Scenes Content Helped Fuel the Trend
Another smart move? Leaning into BTS content.
Unboxings, packaging reviews, and limited edition reveals became micro-events. Influencers and influencer collaborations showed off everything from the sound the box made when opening to the texture of Labubu’s fur. This kind of content made the product feel more tangible and desirable.
It also allowed audiences to “experience” the product before buying, which increased conversion and FOMO.
Use This Free Tool to See Who Made Labubu Viral
Want to reverse-engineer which influencers helped make Labubu a trend? One of the easiest ways is to use Collab Finder, a free tool inside Impulze that shows you exactly which creators have worked with any brand on Instagram.
You can instantly view the list of influencers who posted about them, along with real engagement data, follower counts, and even suggestions for similar creators you can reach out to. This is how many marketers now skip the guesswork and build creator strategies based on what’s already working. Tools like Collab Finder make it fast, simple, and free to get the intel you need.
You’ll see:
Who posted
When they posted
Their follower count and real engagement
Similar creators in your niche
This lets you build your own creator strategy without guesswork.
What This Means for Future Product Launches
Labubu shows that the best influencer marketing trends and campaigns in 2025 are no longer just about reach.
They are about:
Participation: Fans felt part of the trend. They started sharing their own Labubu stories.
Playfulness: The product was fun to style, shoot, and meme. That made it irresistible.
Creative Trust: Influencers were treated as collaborators. Influencer collaborations gave them space to surprise the audience.
Whether you’re launching a toy, a planner, or a pet product, you can use the same recipe. Start by thinking, how would a creator naturally play with this?
Final Thoughts: What Labubu Taught Us
Labubu didn’t go viral by chance. The product clicked with the right audience at the right time. Influencers helped shape the story in a way that felt personal and real.
If you're a brand trying to build buzz, you don’t need to outspend everyone. You need to out-story them. And to do that, you’ll need the right tools, the right creators, and the courage to let them play.
Start with trace.impulze.ai to see who’s already building trends. Ready to launch your own campaign? Explore impulze.ai for discovery, outreach, and content planning, built in.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Labubu dolls, and why are they trending?
What are Labubu dolls, and why are they trending?
What are Labubu dolls, and why are they trending?
Who started the Labubu trend online?
Who started the Labubu trend online?
Who started the Labubu trend online?
How can I find influencers who promoted Labubu?
How can I find influencers who promoted Labubu?
How can I find influencers who promoted Labubu?
Why was Labubu content so effective?
Why was Labubu content so effective?
Why was Labubu content so effective?
What marketing tactics made Labubu a hit?
What marketing tactics made Labubu a hit?
What marketing tactics made Labubu a hit?
How can smaller brands replicate Labubu’s success?
How can smaller brands replicate Labubu’s success?
How can smaller brands replicate Labubu’s success?
What’s the best way to track viral influencers?
What’s the best way to track viral influencers?
What’s the best way to track viral influencers?
Author Bio
Author Bio
Nandini Tripathi
Nandini Tripathi
Hey! I’m Nandini, a content writer who turns brand blah into brand ta-da! I write words that work and turn ideas into content that sounds good, feels right, and actually gets read.
Hey! I’m Nandini, a content writer who turns brand blah into brand ta-da! I write words that work and turn ideas into content that sounds good, feels right, and actually gets read.
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May be Later
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May be Later