Long queues formed early morning in central London as toy enthusiasts waited outside a new pop-up store for the release of Hirono, a collectible featuring a child with a permanent mischievous look, created by Chinese toy maker Pop Mart.
The designer toy brand has turning blind-box collectibles into a global phenomenon, with quirky characters, soaring sales, and star-studded fans.
"I live in Yorkshire, so a long way, but I managed to get exactly what I wanted. So I'm really pleased," said a collector.
"It's a little bit of Joy in a world that can sometimes be tough, right? And when you're got adult money, why not spend adult money on things you want, right?" another fan of Hirono said.
Even Hirono's creator Lang turned up -- meeting fans in London for the first time. According to the artist, the character was a form of self expression, and its sudden popularity caught him by surprise.
"As more and more people started to like them, I began to feel a bit of pressure. At the same time, though, I also felt genuinely happy. It's amazing that so many people like this IP, this character, and that they can see a part of themselves in the things I express through different media," said Lang.
Apart from Hirono, Pop Mart has rolled out quite a few other characters -- including Labubu. This quirky elf-like figure with a toothy grin has gone from niche to global, and even celebrities have been spotted with one.
The trend has translated into eye-popping growth for Pop Mart, with its revenue in the first quarter of this year jumping as much as 170 percent year on year.
"Last year, we were very fortunate to open up in Milan, in Italy, and in Barcelona, in Spain, we opened our first offline stores there, and we will focus across the UK, France, Spain, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, these countries, for sure, you'll see new Pop Mart stores opening in the coming months," said Peter Shipman, managing director of Head of Europe, Pop Mart.
This year, Pop Mart is aiming higher, targeting nearly 3 billion U.S. dollars in revenue -- up a billion from last year.
Yet the company's strategy of using blind boxes -- a type of packaging that keeps its contents hidden -- and creating rarity has fueled tensions among fans, as customers scramble to buy and scalpers drive up prices.
The brand taps into tried-and-tested tactics, scarcity and social media buzz and markets them globally by collaborating with global artists. Now, its blind box model is now testing how far Chinese pop culture can travel.
Long queue forms for release of Chinese designer toy in London
