JAKARTA The Labubu doll, which had become a global sensation, is now starting to decline. In fact, in the past, many people were willing to queue from dawn to get this doll.
Labubu is often considered a luxury doll because the price is not cheap for some people. Even so, this doll was selling well on the market. Labubu is a storybook character by the artist Kasing Lung. In 2019, Lung collaborated with the Chinese toy company, Pop Mart, to realize its characters.
Labubu's popularity skyrocketed after a number of international celebrities used it, from Rihanna, Dua Lipa, Kim Kardashian, to Lisa BlackPink personnel.
Ordinary people are then hypnotized by the Labubu trend. In Indonesia, it was once a conversation because hundreds of people were willing to queue since dawn at a mall in South Jakarta to get Labubu.
And, this trend not only occurs in the country, but also in Shanghai to London, with snaking queues.
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Towards the end of last year, the Labubu hashtag generated more than 1.4 million videos only on TikTok. Of the millions of videos, the majority contain videos of the opening of the secret box or blind box of Labubu.
These collectors are enthusiastic about opening a mysterious toy box to see if they get the desiredLabubu doll or not.
However, as toyblind box boosts revenue, collectors often don't get the dolls they want and this continues to encourage them to buy more. Pop Mart, the owner of Labubu, saw a nearly double increase in revenue to USD 1.81 million by 2024.
The income from Labubu accounts for nearly 22 percent of Pop Mart's total revenue, citing The Commons Earth.
The Labubu doll is priced from US$20 (Rp326,456) to US$300 (Rp4.89 million). For some people, the price of Labubu is unreasonable and is more considered a symbol of status.
This toy is still considered a luxury item because it does not offer a function other than pampering visuals or tools to show off on social media. Social media has a role in encouraging people to embrace the notion of consumerism, namely buying something to achieve happiness.
But still, Labubu's interest continues to soar, even though in today's era, hundreds of thousands of money means a lot to some people. In fact, many adults experience financial difficulties, difficulties in owning a home, long-term financial goals have stalled.
Although it has not really disappeared, Labubu's popularity is starting to decline. In fact, when many people queue for Labubu, it is predicted that this is a temporary trend put forward by a number of circles.
Before Labubu, there was already a trend of Domo, Beanie Babies, and Smiskis dolls which were only temporary. In fact, toys and Blind boxes follow a pattern similar to other rapidly growing microtrends.
Then, why is Labubu still selling well in the market even though the price is not cheap?
The answer is because of the lipstick effect. In simple terms, the lipstick effect is an economic theory that states that consumers buy more luxury mini items when the economy is sluggish.
This is because consumers feel that long-term goals such as buying a house cannot be achieved, then they are complacent with luxury items that are 'affordable'.
Lipstick effect doesn't really have too big an impact, but problems arise when many people spend their money on disposable plastic products and follow the growing micro trends.
Micro trends not only drain the wallet, but also bad for planet earth. It's because toys like Labubu, Smiskis, Sonny Angels, and others are made of plaques and the ends will end up in trash.
According to a number of studies, nearly 80 percent of toys end up in landfills, incinerators, or oceans. Plastic production not only makes the earth hanger, but also into the brain, blood, and even placentas.
We live in a world that is continuously bombarded with marketing. Big companies use manipulative and cunning tactics to create a sense of insecure and increase sales, "wrote the Commons Earth.
The climate crisis is real and it's bad. In fact, household purchases affect 65 percent of global emissions. Because of that, there's nothing wrong with re-examineing our relationship with culture of convenience and consumerism. Reflecting on our purchase is a good thing for everyone.
Environmental activist Amea Wadsworth insists, before buying someone, you have to ask yourself what makes us happy, why, and how long it lasts.
'Who was harmed by our purchase? Who made what we bought? Where did all this go after I finished using it?' concluded Amea.
The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language. (system supported by DigitalSiber.id)
