Pop Mart to turn Labubu craze into Disney-style theme park empire

The Chinese maker of viral Labubu dolls, Pop Mart, aims to turn Labubu craze into an entertainment franchise by taking a leaf out of Disney’s success in intellectual property strategy.

While interviewing with Reuters, the executive director Si De said, the company is planning to capitalize on Labubu beyond toy sales, by incorporating theme parks, animation, content collaboration, and franchise expansion.

Referring to the Mickey Mouse character, Si De said, “We have learned from Disney for a long time. In fact, Disney’s great value lies in its ability to operate intellectual property over the long term, even up to 100 years.”

Moreover, by replicating Disney’s strategy, Pop Mart aims to establish a portfolio of 5 to 10 original IPs.

Recently, Labubu's growing popularity across the world has led to a 200 percent increase in Pop Mart’s this year. Around 35 percent of the company’s first-half revenue comprises this character sale.

These viral Labubu dolls were designed by Hong Kong-based illustrator Kasing Lung, which remained part of his playful series, The Monsters.

In addition to Labubu dolls, the company also witnessed the surge in the sale of other characters like Skullpanda, Molly and Crybaby, each exceeding 1bn yuan in first-half sales.