Labubu dolls and bag charms can be considered 2025's most popular accessory/toy. They reflect a strong desire among Gen Z to express themselves, develop personal identity, and be distinctive from everyone else, even if everyone else is also buying them. This microtrend is more than just a product of consumerism because it can be used to understand Gen Z attitudes around the current state of the world and nostalgia from childhood while stepping into adulthood.

I asked our PR & growth experts: How can the rise in popularity of Labubu dolls and bag charms be tied to greater shifts in our cultural landscape? What makes them "special"? What advice would you give brands who want to jump on microtrends before they lose traction while maintaining their brand identity?

Below are the experts' insights.

• A need for constant personalization
• Keep in touch with childhood experiences in an increasingly difficult adult world
• They provide intimacy and personalization in the culture of conformity
• Recognize the underlying emotional needs these products satisfy
• Gen Z wants to express themselves in light-hearted ways
• Blending self-expression with shared nostalgia
• Comfort and euphoria about childhood
• Labubu builds community through the shared experience of hunting
• Accessories personality as a manner of displaying individuality
• The balance between the nostalgic look and modern identity
• A low-risk method to be rebellious
• Respond to the emotion behind it
• Products that impress intuitively
• Nostalgia, self-expression, individuality
• Disorganized but lovable
• The profound need of Gen Z to express themselves
• For a generation that works hard to stay soft
• Common interests and design sensibility
• The focus on authentic connection
• Brands need to learn the emotional value of the trend
• Blind-box mechanics create neurochemical reward patterns
• Small but weighty in their coded meaning
• Weird-cute, reflecting contradictions

A need for constant personalization

Emily Reynolds-Bergh, Owner at R Public Relations

"Gen Z consumer behavior reflects a desire to express their personality with every single purchase, from the colorway of their Owala water bottle to the style of Labubu that hangs on their purse. Brands can captialize on this need for constant personalization by giving consumers options. If possible, produce your items in multiple colors or patterns. You might also consider reversible garments or bags that allow consumers to easily express their mood that day. Brands can also upsell consumers with simple customizations like embroidery, piping options, and special charms."

Keep in touch with childhood experiences in an increasingly difficult adult world

Andres Bernot, Founder at WOW! Shirts

"Bag charms and labubu dolls have turned into more than popular accessories. To Gen Z, they are a means of personalization, amid all the noise of the internet, they are a means of nostalgia. These objects are a form of self expression, where people can keep in touch with their childhood experiences in an increasingly difficult adult world. Their capacity to elicit said depth of emotion and remain relevant in the current culture makes them special, providing an understated, but formidable means of expressing who you really are.

To make the best of microtrends, the brands should know what makes them stick. Not everything is about getting in on the bandwagon but what it comes down to is having the larger vision and incorporating the trend in such a manner that it makes sense to your brand. Brands have to look at the genuine methods of relating to their audience, and that would be via customization, limited releases, or storytelling. The objective is to understand what is the trend and not to lose the essence of your brand and form a stronger connection with customers."

They provide intimacy and personalization in the culture of conformity

Hasan Hanif, Founder at Colour Vistas

"Bag charms and Labubu dolls are not only fashionable items, but also a symbol of Gen Z's search for personal identity as the times grow more and more complicated. This is relatable since it offers an avenue to relate with the childhood experiences as well as the urge to be different as adults. Instead of blindly keeping up with the latest trend, Gen Z feels like it is a part of its personality represented in buying and using these products, which provide intimacy and personalization in the culture of conformity.

Microtrends are something that brands that want to capitalize on them should not just pursue blindly. The most important thing is to comprehend the stuff behind the appearance of these trends and what they suggest to the listeners. Brands need to address the emotional attraction of a trend by ensuring that the message sent by their brand should be linked to the hidden interests of the users. This enables brands to be authentic and not to look like opportunists yet they can still be relevant in a fast changing culture.

Recognize the underlying emotional needs these products satisfy

Andrew Reichek, CEO at Bode Builders

"Labubu is the ultimate storm of Gen Z's hunger for authentic self-expression within safe boundaries. These "mischievous little monsters with fangs" are tapping into something more profound than just collecting - they're offering vetted rebellion that is safe and socially acceptable. Young adults are choosing accessories that express individuality within an identifiable group, realizing what I call "collective uniqueness."

I observed this trend in action last month when my 22-year-old marketing coordinator arrived at a client meeting with three Labubu charms on her bag. Each, she said, stood for a different mood or phase of the project, in effect using them as external signals of internal states. This was not ornament - this was emotional control through material objects. The blind box feature introduces gaming novelty to what would otherwise be run-of-the-mill retail therapy, inducing dopamine spikes that mainstream shopping no longer can.

The cultural significance transcends a superficial consumer culture. Dolls began to penetrate mass popularity in 2025 through TikTok's algorithmic endorsement of #Labubu unboxing, but they are popular because Gen Z is willing to engage with uncertainty and control. In a world where economic stability is out of reach and social media fosters incessant performative pressure, having something a bit untidy but still manageable is psychologically comforting. The "slightly creepy" aesthetic is an extension of their generation's embracing of dark themes with residual innocence.

For brands that want to ride microtrends without compromising authenticity, I suggest the "adjacency strategy." Rather than produce overt Labubu imitations, recognize the underlying emotional needs these products satisfy - belonging to a community, controlled surprise, comforting familiarity, and expressive individuality. Then produce products or campaigns that meet the exact needs of your brand's current persona. A building construction firm can produce limited-edition hard hat charms, and a financial services firm can make savings goals a game by issuing collectible achievement tokens.

The key is understanding that successful microtrend participation requires speed without desperation. Brands must move quickly enough to capture relevance while maintaining enough authenticity to avoid appearing opportunistic. The accelerating trend cycle means brands need systems for rapid response, but those systems should be built around your core brand values, not trend-chasing alone.

My 2025 microtrend suggestions: invest in emotional ecosystem listening software, build flexible creative systems that can quickly change, and don't forget that Gen Z is more invested in brands that understand their emotional ecosystem than they are in copying their aesthetic sensibilities."

Gen Z wants to express themselves in light-hearted ways

Doug Crawford, Founder & President at Best Trade Schools LLC

"Labubu dolls and bag charms are trendy, as Gen Z wants to express themselves in light and light hearted manners. Most of the youths are stressed by the world, and these toys give them comfort and nostalgia. They make individuals feel special in a way that they belong to a group. This shows how many people like to feel safe, creative and understood. These little things tell a lot about how individuals nowadays combine old memories with new inspirations to communicate.

Labubu dolls and bag charms are unique since they are personal. They are childish things that remind people of their childhood but they are applied in an adult way, such as being stylish or having a mood. They all appear slightly different as some are difficult to acquire, because of their price and variety. They can be clipped easily on a bag or displayed and that is what people love about them. It is a unique way to express yourself without saying this is me.

The brands must pay attention to the things that young people enjoy on online applications like TikTok. When they notice that some small trend is becoming a hit, they can participate in it in their own way. When riding on a trend make sure to think about how this trend can be related to the good that we already have. Perhaps come up with a cool version of your product or collaborate with an artist. You need to keep your brand style so that others know it is you. Go quickly, but remain true. That is how you maintain the strength of the brand and also stay in touch with the trends."

Blending self-expression with shared nostalgia

Leah Miller, Marketing Strategist at Versys Media

"This Labubu craze is such a great example of how Gen Z is redefining modern consumer culture. These quirky little figurines hit a sweet spot that blends self-expression with shared nostalgia. They look chaotic and unfiltered, which mirrors how a lot of Gen Z sees the world right now, messy, uncertain, but still playful in their own way.

There’s also a subconscious safety in nostalgia-driven design. Labubu feels like something pulled from a dream or a Saturday morning cartoon, even if people have never seen one before. That kind of visual storytelling evokes a childlike sense of comfort while allowing young adults to reclaim parts of their identity that might’ve been neglected during tougher cultural moments,lockdowns, climate anxiety, economic instability, all of it.

What makes them feel so "special" isn’t just the aesthetic or the exclusivity. It’s the way they act as a permission slip,for adults to be weird, to collect, to display something that's both totally individual and part of a broader tribe. Gen Z might all be buying them, but each doll still feels tailored to the collector’s personality. That tension between standing out and fitting in is exactly where Labubu thrives.

For brands watching this happen, the takeaway isn't to copy the character design or slap a cute face on a keychain. It’s about reacting to emotional cues rather than just visual ones. We helped a niche fashion label in Berlin tap into the same nostalgic chaos with an apparel drop that paired Y2K graphics with inconsistent sizing tags,a nod to the unpredictability of growing up in the early 2000s. It wasn’t about the product. It was how it made people feel.

If brands want to play in microtrends without losing their identity, they need to ask: who are we helping people become? If they can answer that clearly, they won't get lost chasing the fad."

Comfort and euphoria about childhood

Kira Byrd, Founder at Curl Centric

"Gen Zs are known for being expressive, and Labubu is one of the few things about how they show it. These objects bring them comfort and euphoria about their childhood. These are small collectibles that can be hung on bags which also helps them create a safe space from the fast-paced world. They are popular because they represent a cultural change in expressing emotions and meaning in things that are entertaining and concrete.

Labubu dolls are individualized. It serves as a childhood item that brings happiness at the same time, it's also an accessory. They are limited-edition and unique, which makes them collectible and something to talk about. To Gen Z, they are a cool means of expressing personalities and the nature of emotions. We live in a digital era, and people need to have something they can touch, display and share with others, something that feels special to them almost like a wearable art or a miniature part of their experience.

The trend that you should only follow is that which fits your brand. Micro trends are fast, you have to be ready to do it, but do not imitate, render it in your way. It can be a collab as fun as it can be a limited product drop, but do not lose yourself in the idea of brand values. What the contemporary consumers respond to is authenticity. When you feel that you are being honest and it is in line with your principles your audience will react to you and the trend can strengthen rather than water-down your brand identity."

Labubu builds community through the shared experience of hunting

Dan Mogolesko, Owner at JD Buys Homes

"With 25 years of real estate and business experience, I know how cultural trends affect the buying habits and behaviour of consumers across generations. The one thing I have learned from first-time homebuyer clients is how Gen Z employs material consumption as a means of identity expression.

The Labubu phenomenon is more than a stereotypical collectible craze. These things are touchstones of identity in an age where increasing uncertainty appears to be evaporating, and traditional markers like homeownership are out of reach for many young adults. I see it in my younger clients who spend a great deal on personal accessories and collectables, but cannot afford to save for down payments. The collectible is thus a symbol of potential ownership when bigger purchases are not feasible.

What's unique about Labubu is the controlled limitation paired with emotional availability. While luxury brands shut people out, Labubu builds community through the shared experience of hunting. The randomness of which flavour you receive reflects the unpredictability Gen Z experiences every day, but in a controlled, thrilling manner rather than a suffocating one.

For businesses looking to access microtrends, it's not about copying the appearance but about embodying the emotional need that the product represents. When I'm working with clients who are selling to young homebuyers, we're selling security and belonging, not square footage and finishes. Same with effective trend adoption: finding the desire behind and communicating it through your current brand voice without sacrificing your identity.

The highest microtrend adoption is when brands understand they're not selling products, they're selling emotional solutions that enable individuals to deal with an uncertain world."

Accessories personality as a manner of displaying individuality

Caleb Johnstone, SEO Director at Paperstack

"The Labubu dolls and bag charms are the complete representation of how Gen Z is using accessories personality as a manner of displaying individuality in a world becoming more homogeneous. The products are not only fashionable, but also indicative of a much bigger cultural change in which adulthood and nostalgia are combined. The Gen Z is living in a world that is more complicated than ever before, and these dolls provide an enjoyable and bittersweet method of keeping something more youthful as they move into adulthood. They are cheap, available and most importantly they show an attitude of a generation that wants to be different, even when everyone is purchasing them.

When it comes to brands that want to ride the wave of microtrends such as this, it is necessary to make an authentic connection with the culture behind the phenomenon. It is not enough to do what everybody does, but to know the deeper values of the trend and how it can be related to your brand. Be true to you and nimble enough to act swiftly since these trends come and go as fast as they emerge. By including the microtrends in your key messages, you will have the opportunity to reach the audience which values originality and authenticity of a brand."

The balance between the nostalgic look and modern identity

Meera Watts, CEO & Founder at Siddhi Yoga

"The popularity of Labubu dolls and bag charms can tell a lot about the way Gen Z is orienting itself in the world. They are a perfect embodiment of the generation which wants to reach the balance between the nostalgic look and modern identity. It is almost as though it is a method of clinging to a less complex era yet still making a very clear personal statement. I find the same urge in the learners that attend Sidhi Yoga as they need that sense of being, they need that sense of grounding and to connect their own history with their current state as they enter a new stage in their lives.

The thing that makes these accessories special is that they bear a personal meaning. Both the dolls or charms are a special symbol, an aspect of a personality or experience just the way yoga is a voyage of self-realization.

To keep the brands at pace with microtrends, it is important to know more about the relationship that the trend has with the consumer. In the case of selling a product, take an example and sell not simply a product but something that is related to the story that people are telling about themselves. Sidhi Yoga has successfully positioned itself to remain relevant using mindfulness and transformation as a theme that provides services and products that stay up to date with the trends and still adhere to our vision of holistic well-being. When brands are able to do that, which is, relate their offering to something bigger, they would be more appealing to consumers in a more profound way."

A low-risk method to be rebellious

Erik Wright, Founder & CEO at New Horizon Home Buyers

"The Labubu mania is not merely about "adorable collectibles." It's a reflection of Gen Z's mood. These dolls provide something valuable: a low-risk method to be rebellious, make things personal, and reconnect with childhood familiarities while the grown-up world is in flux. They're quirky, a bit messy, and deliberately other ideal icons for a generation that desires to be different, but not in an edited, Instagram-perfect sense. Labubu is a reflection of the shift from curated to unfiltered, from filtered to imperfect, and from polished to unpolished.

Labubu is "special" because it enables Gen Z to play and be illogical in a world that is constantly requiring rationality, performance, and hustle. It is not a product, it is a reaction. These dolls are not neutral they convey mood, beauty, and even social clique, all without speaking.

Brands looking to catch microtrends such as these can't wait until they go mainstream. By the time it's viral, it's already dead. If you're going to ride the waves early, you're going to need to employ creators who exist online, who meme in their own language, and who get digital subcultures before they go mainstream. But getting on the ride doesn't have to be about losing yourself keep your feet planted firmly in your brand's core identity and let the trend inform the way you talk, not who you are.

The Labubu moment is specialized, but it is a big message from Gen Z: "Don't sell us perfection sell us personality."

Respond to the emotion behind it

Justin Azarias, Owner at Property Homebuyers, CA

"Labubu is not only a toy, it's a message. It's sloppy cuteness, asymmetrical form, and not-good-enough-enough adorableness speak to Gen Z because it disrupts the hyper-curated, mass-produced image culture they've been raised on. In a chaotic, hyper-curated world, Labubu provides them with something raw, playful, and emotionally honest. Labubu combines the chaos of coming of age with the security of childhood in one small, collectable package.

What's special about Labubu is that it doesn't look like it was built to be popular; it was built to be. And Gen Z craves it. It's weird, rowdy, and oddly comforting, and it won't play by the rules.

Markets chasing microtrends should refrain from arriving late with watered-down copies. If you do catch these waves, you need to have ears on the ground and the guts to move fast. But no pretending. That instant when your message seems copycat, Gen Z is off. Don't follow the trend, respond to the emotion behind it."

Products that impress intuitively

Caleb John, Director at Exceed Plumbing

"It is an interesting way of exploring how Gen Z seeks to be an individual as Labubu dolls and bag charms have gained popularity so far. Although they increase in volume in the marketplace, these products enable the adorners to express personal identity, and even in a world full of people who maybe taste the same, they have the ability to express personal identity. This paradox provides the inspiration for such a state in which the Gen Z perceives itself in a more connected and yet individualized society. When it comes to Gen Z, these objects serve as a reminder of childhood innocence and are a nostalgic connection between Gen Z and the complications of adulthood. They bring solace and speak in a time when the world changes fast and the future becomes more unpredictable in a socio-political climate that has become uncertain.

In the case of brands meant to take advantage of microtrends such as these, the trick lies in getting to know the cultural reasoning of the trend as opposed to the merest aura of the trend itself. It is important to produce products that impress intuitively with respect to the values and feelings of the target consumers. Instead of blindly following the trend, brands ought to incorporate building the brand or association with the brand regarding the microtrend to make sure that the association is somewhat related to the trend at hand. In that way, they will be able to gain long term relevance and not temporary existence."

Nostalgia, self-expression, individuality

Uku Sööt, Organizational Growth Strategist at IPB Partners

"The fact that Labubu dolls and bag charms became so popular is a direct reference to the attitude of Gen Z towards self-expression. These are not mere toys/accessories but miniature embodiments of individual lives and experiences and the whole thing is packaged in something playful and bright. It is an ideal representation of how Gen Z wants to have a balance between individualism and community. I can testify with my own eyes to the businesses I am working with, there is this urge always to have products that are not only what people need but somewhere in them, they create some identity. And this is what is so interesting about these tiny accessories is that one can develop a distinctive identity that can be shared in the social media very easily. It is the identity at a time of digital exposure and these objects are an effortless method of Gen Z to express themselves despite the fact that everyone has the same.

The two products are unique in the sense that they appeal to some nostalgia that is not outdated. To bring back that carefree childhood thrill but with an adult twist, Labubu dolls are full of fun and a mature touch to it and the whole idea of adulthood with the retention of the carefree happier times. It is such that the brand is addressing the fact that people need to maintain connections to their roots but still move with the times.

When it comes to the brands that wish to hitch a ride on small trends such as this one, it is not only about maintaining pace but ensuring that the trend fits into your brand values. One of the brands that I have worked with recently did just the same. They did not just mind the trends, they paid attention to the sentiment behind the trend- nostalgia, self-expression, individuality, and they created a product experience that is personal and that at the same time is on-brand. Therefore, when you think of exploiting trends such as this one, you have to ask yourself how it aligns to your long term brand vision and whether or not it is something that your audience can identify with on a deeper level. This way, it will no longer be a matter of chasing the next big thing but rather it will be about establishing long term relationships."

Disorganized but lovable

Brandon Hardiman, Owner at Yellowhammer Home Buyers

"Labubu dolls are not just collectibles; they're emotional armor for Generation Z. Their crazy faces, loud colors, and slightly disheveled look mirror how young people feel on the inside: disorganized but lovable. It's not a coincidence. It's a deliberate defiance of polished perfection. Labubu says it's okay to be messy, loud, retro, and proud of it. That speaks deeply to a generation trying to grow up without losing their childhood gentleness.

I've watched the same emotional buying triggers in real estate. They're not purchasing a roof, they're buying a story, a feeling, a personal flag. Labubu is in the same emotional space for Gen Z, providing them with something to identify with as completely theirs in a world that's always telling them who to be.

My recommendation to brands attempting to surf these waves without losing themselves: don't pursue trends anchored to values. If you are selling minimalism, don't put a neon sticker on your brand to emulate Labubu. Instead, narrate your story in a way that provides buyers with that same sense of self-expression and personal identity. Identity is crucial. Gen Z can smell a fake from a mile away.

Microtrends like Labubu don't cause brands to change who they are; they cause brands to show who they've always been."

The profound need of Gen Z to express themselves

Baris Zeren, CEO at Bookyourdata

"Labubu dolls and bag charms are the manifestations of the profound need of Gen Z to express themselves, which is a method to be unique, but still nostalgic. These accessories enable the individual to differentiate oneself within a period of time where the trends are constantly changing and readily available. They exist on the dream of finding some form of identity and safety and serve as a beautiful reminder of a childish life to the adult world of maze-like existence. To Gen Z, it is not just the product but what the product symbolizes to them as they seek to become unique.

In case of brands that are interested in jumping on the microtrends, they should stay authentic and consistent with the values of the audience. Rather than simply hopping on a bandwagon of a trend, get to know how it can make your people feel and incorporate it into the brand story. This strategy will make sure you are not only selling goods but building a stronger relationship with your clients and being able to connect with them emotionally, which will make you remain relevant despite the changes in the trends."

For a generation that works hard to stay soft

Anatolii Ulitovskyi, Founder at UNmiss.com

"Why Labubu seems bigger than a fad:

Labubu is not just cute.

It is chaotic, imperfect, and kind of emotional, and that is exactly what Gen Z looks for, something authentic rather than polished.

It is something for a generation that works hard to stay soft in a loud, uncertain world, where chaos reigns supreme and any sort of control is temporary.

These characters give people the permission to express their identities in a nonlinear, messy, and nostalgic fashion.

Labubu dolls are avatars of a sort.

Really, Labubu dolls are a sort of avatar, meant not in the digital sense but as an emotional placeholder for how Gen Z views itself.

Something collectible and unique, yet there exists a great deal of mass appeal in paradox.

Brands watch microtrends and want to surf the waves, but they need to stay in the observation room and watch for a bit first before entering the fray.

Late entry with off-the-shelf generic versions destroys goodwill.

Develop very flexible frameworks that allow for fast creative pivots without compromising core brand voice.

Do not chase virality.

Create a brand tone that coexists with trends instead of becoming a copy of them."

Common interests and design sensibility

Ali Hassan, Roofing Specialist at Rabbit Roofing

"Labubu dolls and bag charms can be two examples of a cultural change in the direction of individualization and expression. People increasingly want their products to establish an identity, getting off from mass-produced products. These are not accessories since they convey a sense of individuality, feeling, and connection. Indicatively, Labubu dolls are close to people because they convey a narrative that brings individuals together by sharing common interests and design sensibility, thus being more purposeful than conventional luxury objects.

There is a high sense of urgency when it comes to brands that want to capitalize on microtrends, but one must do this intelligently. Brands ought to bring the trend in a manner that complements what it represents and cannot associate the trend with what they stand to present. An environmentally friendly brand would be able to release an eco-friendly Labubu-inspired charm that will be authentic. There is timing, of course, but the trend the brands use must also reflect the treatment of their brand in the long term.

The brands must find a balance between being nimble and genuine in a bid to succeed. The people who are able to interpret such cultural changes and adapt, all the same remaining loyal to their principles, will convert microtrends into long-term victory."

The focus on authentic connection

Dr. David Ghozland, Owner and OB/GYN

"Nowadays bag charms and Labubu dolls are everywhere. I have to see them daily- on the backs of backpacks in the clinic, on the desks in the office, even in the cases of stethoscopes. My Gen Z customers inform me that more than two-thirds of them choose charms depending on their mood or what they consider their uniqueness. These small characters are not only adorable, they provide an individual with a means of expressing themselves in a busy competitive world. Their jagged edges and rollicking faces are attractive to any person who is not ready to lie anymore that they have the perfect lives. The demand is very high and the resale value of rare editions run as high as three hundred dollars making these simple items personal trophies and status symbols.

To reach out to this audience, you simply cannot follow the next trend. You must take a hand, talk to collectors, know what their selections imply and devise methods of allowing them to stamp their own individuality on your offerings. The drops are made to order, limited production, and partnerships with local artists can be done in a short time and are unforgettable. I use that same idea in my medical practice: special treatment creates loyalty and makes people come back. The way to make your brand remain relevant is by focusing on authentic connection, speed and sincerity. It is what makes people still show interest even when the trend has already reached its climax."

Brands need to learn the emotional value of the trend

Caspar Matthews, Director at Electcomm Group Electrical & Data

"The microtrends like the Labubu dolls are not just another trend, they reveal the actual modifications in the society. Labubu dolls and bag charms appeal to Gen Z because of a wider cultural trend toward the feeling of individuality and nostalgia. The accessories present some form of control and expression in the increasingly uncertain world. Gen Z strives to be authentic and wants to purchase something that makes them write their story and stay connected with childhood memories. A veneer to this self-expression is provided by the whimsical and rebellious appearance of Labubu dolls. This is due to the trend of wanting to experience something solid in a world that is increasingly becoming digital.

The key to doing that, in case brands care to cash in on such microtrends, is to learn the emotional value of the trend rather than just what the product is. Business firms should also be loyal to themselves and ensure that their products are in line with their established principles. The companies should not appear to be riding on the trends by ensuring that the brand is kept consistent and up to date. The brands that will be able to achieve this success will be those brands that will be able to determine how to establish a meaningful relationship with consumers beyond products."

Blind-box mechanics create neurochemical reward patterns

Derek Emery, CEO at Cash For Cars Los Angeles

"After analyzing 50,000+ consumer transactions, I see fascinating parallels between Labubu's rise and broader economic psychology patterns.

Labubu's popularity represents what I call 'embodied collectivism' - physical objects becoming proxies for human connection severed during lockdowns. Unlike traditional luxury consumption, these dolls operate on manufactured intimacy principles where blind-box mechanics create neurochemical reward patterns similar to gambling, but with psychologically safer stakes during economic uncertainty.

The phenomenon mirrors cultural pendulums I've tracked across decades. Just as 1990s youth embraced deliberately messy aesthetics to reject their parents' polished excess, Gen Z adopts Labubu's intentional 'flaws' as rebellion against algorithmic perfectionism they inherited from millennials.

What fascinates me most is the 'democratized gatekeeping' effect. Data shows 73% of Labubu adopters are first-time luxury buyers using $35 charms to access aspirational communities previously beyond their reach. This $20 token grants entry to $3,000 bag discussions - it's brilliant market psychology.

For brands wanting to capitalize, timing is everything. I've observed successful microtrend adoption requires entering when momentum hits 23-27% of peak velocity. The critical window is 18-36 hours after emergence, when authenticity perception peaks at 89%. Brands acknowledging their outsider status while contributing genuine value see 67% less backlash than opportunistic exploitation attempts."

Small but weighty in their coded meaning

Adam Yong, SEO Consultant & Founder at BrandPeek

"The emergence of Labubu dolls and bag charms is not only the matter of nostalgia or self-expression, but also the matter of a generation crashing into the sea of chaos and trying to stick to something, something, which seems like tangible, soft and personal. They are so small that they can be carried but so weighty in their coded meaning. Gen Z are not utility-seeking, they are taking emotional shortcut. A bag charm can speak to the people on a busy subway train in the morning at 8 a.m. saying, I still believe in whimsy. They are making a decision rather than purchasing a product; they are choosing a symbol that will shout louder than any advert.

To be able to ride these waves before they flatten, the brands must cease to research trends as patterns, but follow them as instincts. Time is important and time out of time burns trusts. Unless your brand does not belong in the language of toys, then, attempting to copy the Labubu energy will sound fake. It is better to separate what the trend is reacting against. That reaction in this case is the one concerning soft rebellion. A stuffed animal is an armor of knight in the form of an innocent. Instead of what is trending, brands should be in the position to ask what wound that trend is attempting to heal. Those are not the resemblance of the shape, but the sentiment. The brands that get the difference wrong end up spending 100,000 in activation in order to gain 15 minutes of trend relevance and have no one recalling them 30 days later. The ones who read it correctly turn the story towards their side without having to mention the trend."

Weird-cute, reflecting contradictions

Duman Zhumagulov, Owner at BoxStar Movers

"Labubu: It appeals to the childlike comfort with an element of chaos.

There, in the little outlet of low-stakes reality expression, is what Gen Z has on their plates these days.

Much like putting together something small and strange that makes one's surrounding a little less unpredictable.

That's not cute.

That's weird-cute, and that reflects their humor and all the contradictions they hold.

Brands can only really get in on microtrends like Labubu when they're first watching and then acting.

Don't move by the brand, but find a creative way to tell a story that works without erasing what you are.

Gen Z doesn't mind brands joining the conversation, but not pretending like they started it."

#PRontheGO