What happens when you utter “Labubu” (an ambiguous syllable), and why does such a catchphrase travel so far around the globe? I tried to examine this phenomenon through the lens of the linguistic relativity hypothesis, as well as the interplay between delayed and instant gratification in individual decision-making.
My argument is that the craze for Labubu and similar figures reflects the current economic climate, where people favor instant happiness and warm emotional touches amidst pressure, information overload, and the confusion caused by dis/misinformation. In contrast, cultural products from the 1970s and 1980s were more systematic and required greater cognitive involvement, such as the everyday-must-watch anime when I was young, Saint Seiya: Knights of the Zodiac. I still remember struggling to figure out the masters of Bronze Saints versus Gold Saints and their corresponding constellations when discussing the plots with my buddies!
My humble two cents for designers and cultural marketing industry: Only when a cultural icon is remembered and retold across generations can a cultural symbol endure. The simplicity of Labubu perhaps mirrors a desire for surface-level happiness in the current economic cycle. Yet, to become an enduring cultural memory that transcends economic cycles, designers might consider not only maintaining a sense of lightness, but also accumulating cultural depth—finding a new balance between instant and delayed gratification, and achieving narrative transportation across generations.