TBWA releases LABUBU LETTERS: A global disruption brief on the explosive rise of chinese brands
TBWA has unveiled LABUBU LETTERS: A Disruption Brief on Ascending Global Chinese Brands – a new global whitepaper from TBWA\China in collaboration with TBWA\Worldwide. The report unpacks how a new wave of Chinese brands are defying expectations, breaking category conventions, and rewriting what Chinese brands can be globally.
Long defined by “Made in China”, the country’s most ambitious players have now evolved into “Brands from China” – becoming global disruptors that shape taste, influence culture, and create new value systems across key categories.
Drawing on deep data analysis across business performance, engagement, sentiment and perception, the report dissects rising brands like Pop Mart, MINISO, Vivo, Honor, BYD and GWM, to uncover the drivers powering disruptive global expansion. The findings point to two major forces: a commitment to bold product innovation and a deep understanding of cultural nuance.
LABUBU LETTERS uncovers how Chinese brands are rewriting the rules across major categories:
• In New Retail, brands are pushing a “Cute Economy 2.0” – creating emotional connections with imperfect, character‐driven IP, co‐created with communities, then amplified with fashion‐style tactics and IP‐led lifestyles.
• In Smartphones, leaders win on pressure‐tested, locally relevant features, pairing hardcore testing with locally inspired content at FMCG speed to earn stronger engagement.
• In Automotive, Chinese brands are redefining expectations on performance, luxury, comfort and advanced smart features, and translating big tech stories into everyday benefits, while redrawing category value systems.
“Chinese brands are redefining how the world experiences and engages with brands. Their disruptive mindset is expanding the possibilities of global leadership – and offering a new source of inspiration for ambitious marketers everywhere,” said Joanne Lao, CEO, TBWA\China.
Jen Costello, Global Chief Strategy Officer, TBWA\Worldwide, added: “When we look at products like Labubus, we see far more than a toy that went global. We see POP MART’s mastery of modern brand building – breaking conventions through creativity, cultural intelligence and a purpose grounded in Eastern thinking. Brands like POP MART aren’t scaling by playing catch-up – they’re scaling by rewriting the playbook.”