How Chinese Brands Are Helping Shape Global Culture

Chinese goods have long filled the global marketplace, but weak domestic consumer demand has prompted some brands to make a major splash abroad, expanding to places like Brazil, the Middle East and even the US. In doing so, they have become the vanguard of what may be a Chinese soft power revolution—replete with a furry little mascot.

In this Bloomberg Originals mini-documentary, we look at China’s evolution from world’s factory floor to commercial innovator—and not just when it comes to high technology like phones and semiconductors. China’s consumer brands, chains and retailers are capturing the imagination, and cash, of the rest of the world. From delivery giant Meituan to award-winning video game Black Myth: Wukong and even a coffee chain called Luckin, China’s massive consumer footprint is being felt everywhere.

You’ve searched, waited, and now the moment has come. Peeling open the packaging, you reveal your new little monster. Was it the one you wanted, and will one be enough? This moment, says Melinda Hu, a senior research analyst at Bernstein, is the Labubu craze at its heart.