Most trends come and go, but some gain extra force because they combine several mechanisms at once. Labubu is a good example. What began as a character in illustrated children’s books has become an international collecting craze with prices far exceeding material value. The doll is sold in many variants, often packed in so-called blind boxes where you don’t know which edition you’ll get. Some variants are extremely rare, driving up prices and triggering a collector’s instinct reminiscent of gambling.
Not a new phenomenon
Storytelling, collecting frenzies, and strategic marketing toward children are far from new. In the 1980s, the He-Man universe built entire cartoons just to sell action figures, and in the 1990s came the Pokémon wave with games, TV series, cards, and toys all pointing back to each other. Lego, My Little Pony, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles did the same.
The difference now is how effectively algorithms on platforms like YouTube Kids and TikTok can keep a child inside a product universe for hours without them actively searching for it. Combine this with the blind-box concept, and you get a perfect storm of purchasing pressure.
Then and now – how things have changed
- Then: Children had to sit in front of the TV at a specific time to see commercials.
Now: Algorithms on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram ensure continuous exposure, tailored to the child’s preferences. - Then: There were natural pauses in the influence – between TV shows, magazines, and store visits.
Now: Children can watch hundreds of short clips in a row, often without realizing it’s advertising. - Then: A brand was built through a few media, like TV, comics, and toys.
Now: It exists everywhere – in games, clothes, school supplies, videos, and social media – all connected in one ecosystem. - Then: Collectibles were often limited in price and rarity.
Now: Blind-box concepts with extreme scarcity drive expensive purchases and a growing secondhand market. - Then: Influence often had to pass through the parents.
Now: Ads reach children directly via tablets or phones, without a parental filter.
More than a doll – a whole universe
Labubu isn’t just a physical product. It lives in a universe of commercials, comics, TikTok clips, YouTube channels, and unboxing videos. Children encounter the character long before they see it on a store shelf, often in formats that appear as pure entertainment. The stories surrounding the figure give it personality, emotions, and a place in a larger community. That means children aren’t just buying a doll, but a ticket into an ongoing story.
YouTube as a shop window disguised as entertainment
On many children’s YouTube channels, toys like Labubu take the lead role in short stories, song clips, and “toy movies.” Between the lines, an emotional bond with the figure is built. Add to that the unboxing videos where blind boxes are opened on camera. This genre is perfect for creating anticipation and excitement while also teaching kids that it’s completely normal to buy many packs just to get “the right” figure.
The psychology behind it
I’ve previously written several articles about the psychology of marketing tricks, and how the same principles reappear regardless of trend or technology. If you’d like to see more about how we make decisions – and how marketers exploit that – you can read this article: Markedsføring i 2025: Teknologien endrer seg – psykologien består.
Several psychological mechanisms work in parallel in the Labubu trend:
- Storytelling creates attachment and emotional value, making the doll feel more valuable than it really is.
- Repetition ensures the figure reappears again and again in the child’s awareness.
- Social proof builds the feeling that “everyone else has it,” triggering FOMO – the fear of missing out.
- Scarcity, in the form of rare variants, fuels both desire and the secondary market.
The ethics of the marketing machinery
Children haven’t developed the critical sense needed to clearly distinguish between content and advertising. When the story, the toy, and the sales pitch blend together, it becomes an ethical dilemma. Parents face added pressure when children already have a mental relationship with the product and feel they “must” have it to join in play both at school and in the digital community.
A trend with consequences
The Labubu trend is entertaining, colorful, and creative on the surface. But behind the glossy picture lies a deliberate use of old marketing tricks in a new and much more powerful package. With technology, algorithms, and social media, we now have a marketing machine that can influence children continuously, directly, and across platforms. And it happens long before they can understand how commercially driven the universe really is.
In conclusion
Labubu is just one example of how old marketing tricks have gained new power through technology and social media. Storytelling, collecting mania, and scarcity are still at the core, but now they’re amplified by algorithms that can deliver product-related content to children in an endless stream. Platforms that were supposed to protect them, like YouTube Kids, are in reality disguised marketing machines. Here, content creators, toy companies, and platform owners work together to keep children engaged and exposed, because every extra view means more money. On the surface it’s about play and entertainment, but behind the scenes it’s about selling – and selling more.
