Labubu and Moo Deng do not obviously belong together, but they end up in the same place: keeping people watching. One is a sharp‑toothed designer toy from Pop Mart’s blind box machines, the other is a baby pygmy hippo at a Thai zoo whose bath videos travel across feeds in minutes. They sit in different corners of the world—Chinese collectibles and a local animal attraction—but live in the same part of the internet, where niche interests become global habits very quickly. Mascots used to stay on cereal boxes and team jerseys; now they are built for camera rolls and timelines first.
Labubu, created by illustrator Kasing Lung and scaled up by Pop Mart, was never drawn like a neat corporate logo; it looks more like a character that might have stayed in a sketchbook and instead ended up on shelves and bags. Fans describe it as “ugly‑cute”: long ears, uneven teeth, and a tense smile that read as personality instead of perfection. Pop Mart leans into that by rotating outfits, themes, and limited runs, so Labubu keeps reappearing in slightly different forms that people can photograph, trade, and arrange at home. Rather than selling a single story, the character signals a mood—that being a bit off‑center is acceptable and even desirable.
Moo Deng’s story is more straightforward: a young pygmy hippo whose short clips in a small pool turned a local zoo resident into a widely recognized figure. Within weeks of her debut on social media, her squeaks and bath time videos were circulating far beyond Thailand, and visitor numbers and online followers began to climb. Brands and creators quickly treated Moo Deng as a character to reference, from themed snacks and merchandise to makeup looks that echo her rounded features. The zoo reinvests that attention into care and infrastructure, even as companies treat Moo Deng like another line of licensed merch.
Together, Labubu and Moo Deng show how mascots work in an overloaded internet: they act as reliable emotional shortcuts that people can recognize at a glance. They are easy to clip, caption, and remix, and they carry less risk than human faces, which makes them attractive long‑term anchors for businesses and institutions. The next mascot will likely arrive from an unexpected corner of culture, but it will follow a similar pattern—odd, a little off, instantly memable, and still easy to like.
@averyywoods No I actually can’t handle her 🥹🤎💅🏼 I’m so obsessed @Rare Beauty love you beyond 💘🎀✨ #fyp #viral #labubu #labubuthemonsters #trending
♬ original sound - Avery Woods
