On August 29, Uniqlo will join hands with Bubble Mart’s popular IP “THE MONSTERS” to launch a joint series, in which Labubu’s image will become the absolute protagonist of the series. The news sparked widespread anticipation on social media and reminded people of Uniqlo’s past rush to buy co-branded models. This article will provide an in-depth analysis of Uniqlo’s co-branding strategy, explore how it upgrades a basic T-shirt to social currency through the layout of the three core sectors of artists, animation/IP, and designers, as well as the core marketing strategy behind its co-branding model.
In the trend circle, owning a Labubu has become a new social hard currency. While countless enthusiasts are still racking their brains to grab a Labubu doll, Uniqlo has quietly opened up another track for this carnival.
Recently, Uniqlo announced that the brand will join hands with Bubble Mart to launch a new collaboration series with the theme of its IP “THE MONSTERS” globally on August 29, 2025.
There is no doubt that the absolute protagonist of the series is Labubu, who is currently in hot spirits.
At that time, short-sleeved T-shirts and long-sleeved sweatshirts with Labubu’s image will cover both adult and children’s styles, with prices ranging from 79 yuan to 199 yuan, opening their arms to fans around the world.
As soon as the news came out, social media was immediately full of anticipation and ridicule. Some people jokingly said, “If you can’t grab Labubu, grab a Labubu T-shirt.” However, consumers who have experienced Uniqlo’s past co-branded “bloody storms” know that the difficulty of buying this T-shirt may not be less than that doll.
In fact, this is not the first time the two sides have joined forces. As early as April 2022, Uniqlo’s first “THE MONSTERS” co-branded collection has proven its huge market appeal. A printed T-shirt priced at 99 yuan at that time has now quietly climbed to nearly 500 yuan on the resale platform, soaring more than four times, and its scarcity and collection value are self-evident.
Of course, Labubu is just a new star in Uniqlo’s vast co-branded universe, from Disney fairy tales and vast Star Wars epics to Ghibli’s dreamworlds and Pokémon’s cute elves…… Uniqlo’s shelves are like a co-branded universe, rotating with the imprint of the world’s top cultural IPs all year round.
Why is Uniqlo so keen, or even obsessed with launching co-branded products?
01 Uniqlo’s co-branded territory: artists, animation/IP, designers
Uniqlo’s co-branding strategy is not simply a wide net, but a well-thought-out layout. By collaborating with top IPs and creators from different circles, it upgrades a basic T-shirt or jacket into a social currency that connects different cultures and highlights personal identity.
Looking at its most successful practices, its co-branding territory can be clearly divided into three core sections: artist co-branding, animation/IP co-branding, and designer co-branding.
1. Artist collaboration
The core of UNIQLO’s collaboration with well-known artists is to break down the barriers between art and the public, so that contemporary art that was originally displayed in the museum can be integrated into daily life in a way that is close to the people. For example, long-term cooperation with foundations of Hall of Fame artists such as Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, Basquiat, etc., their classic works are included in UT’s regular series.
How can product managers do a good job in B-end digitalization?
All walks of life have taken advantage of the ride-hail of digital transformation and achieved the rapid development of the industry. Since B-end products are products that provide services for enterprises, how should enterprises ride the digital ride?
View details >
One of the most iconic examples is the collaboration with American street artist KAWS, which sparked a global buying frenzy when the “KAWS: SUMMER” collection was released in 2019. Crazy scenes such as someone getting in before the roller shutter door of the store is raised, consumers sprinting 100 meters, and the sample clothes on the model being directly stripped off are still famous scenes on social media.
Another heavyweight to collaborate with is Japanese artist Takashi Murakami, who focuses on elements such as his iconic “Sunflower” and “Mr. DOB”. Among them, the three-way collaboration with the popular singer Billie Eilish and the joint name with the national IP Doraemon are very representative.
2. Animation and IP co-branding
This sector is the area where Uniqlo has the widest coverage and can touch the public’s feelings. By cooperating with world-renowned animation, games, film and television IPs, Uniqlo accurately captures the core of the fan economy – belonging and emotional resonance.
Uniqlo has launched the theme series of “Weekly Shonen Jump” many times, bringing together national comics such as “Dragon Ball”, “One Piece”, “Naruto”, and “Volleyball Shonen” that span decades and have influenced generations.
The lethality of the JUMP collaboration lies in its breadth. Almost every post-80s and post-90s youth has a JUMP comic. This kind of all-in-one co-branding allows every anime fan to find their favorite, and the sales are naturally extremely hot.
As the world’s largest IP giant, Disney’s collaboration with Uniqlo “MAGIC FOR ALL” has been going on for many years. From the classic Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, to Pixar’s animated characters, to Marvel’s superheroes and the vast universe of Star Wars, Uniqlo covers almost all of Disney’s important IPs, bringing joy to everyone, and running through products suitable for all ages.
In addition, including cooperation with the world’s top IPs such as “Demon Slayer” and “Jujutsu Kaisen”, it ensures that its UT series energy continues to attract consumers of all ages and interests.
3. Designer co-branding
Designer co-branding is Uniqlo’s exploration of the fashion field. By cooperating with the world’s top fashion designers, Uniqlo strives to allow ordinary consumers to experience the design concept and texture of haute couture at an affordable price.
For example, the +J series launched in collaboration with German designer Jil Sander, known as the queen of minimalism, interprets the concept of “buying master designs at Uniqlo prices” with its extremely simple lines, sophisticated fabrics and high-end silhouettes. Every time the +J series is released, its rush is no less than that of KAWS. Consumers lined up all night just to grab a well-tailored coat or shirt.
The collaboration with Christophe Lemaire, due to the popularity of his collections, eventually evolved into Uniqlo’s permanent high-end branch “Uniqlo U”, designed by Lemaire himself and the Parisian team. This is a higher form of joint cooperation towards deep integration.
02 The core marketing strategy of Uniqlo co-branding
Uniqlo’s co-branding has become a sophisticated, efficient and replicable business paradigm. It’s a thoughtful combination of strategies that revolve around subtly elevating clothing retail into a feast of cultural consumption.
1. Insight into pop culture with popular traffic
The first winning weapon of Uniqlo’s co-branding strategy is its keen insight into pop culture trends and its ability to react quickly. In today’s market, popularity means traffic.
Behind every popular IP, there is a huge fan base and deep emotional value, which carry consumers’ childhood memories, youthful feelings or strong cultural identity. What Uniqlo does is to accurately graft these intangible cultural symbols and emotions into tangible daily clothing, so as to arouse strong resonance among consumers.
This strategy ensures that its products reach the widest possible user base. The UT collection is co-branded across all ages and cultural circles, from classic Disney characters to niche pioneering artists, from local culture rooted in Japan to international fashion trends that are popular around the world, Uniqlo ensures that almost every consumer group can find their own piece on its shelves.
Crucially, this emotional affection translates directly into purchasing behavior. When “Demon Slayer” and “Spy Playhouse” become phenomenal animations, the co-branded UT will quickly follow; When “Gather! When “Animal Crossing” became popular around the world during the epidemic and became the spiritual comfort of countless people, the co-branded series also debuted at the right time.
This time, at the peak of Labubu’s popularity, Uniqlo chose to officially announce the cooperation, but set the release date for the end of August 2025. This trick of delayed gratification not only did not extinguish the enthusiasm of consumers, but completely filled the market’s expectations through long-term warm-up and fermentation. It is foreseeable that once it goes on sale, the long-accumulated enthusiasm will surely be transformed into amazing purchasing power.
This ability to strike while the iron is hot and create a sense of anticipation allows Uniqlo to maximize the instantaneous traffic and long-term value of each IP.
2. Mass positioning and high cost performance
Luxury brands are also keen to launch co-branded models, but they target the affluent few at the top of the pyramid, and co-branding is a way to highlight scarcity.
Uniqlo’s co-branding has always adhered to the core of its brand – popular positioning and high cost performance. The pricing of its co-branded models is usually not much different from other products in the store, and even if the partner is a palace-level master or IP, Uniqlo still maintains the brand label of cost-effectiveness.
This creates a unique value proposition: affordable luxury. KAWS’ original art often costs tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars, and Jil Sander’s eponymous brand fashion is expensive, but at Uniqlo, a co-branded UT may only cost 99 yuan or 149 yuan.
This strategy completely breaks down the walls of cultural and artistic consumption, and it sends a very attractive message to consumers: you don’t need to be rich, you can have master-level excellent design, and you can wear your beloved IP characters on your body.
Insist on providing cost-effective co-branded models all year round, which has improved consumers’ brand favorability. It makes consumers feel that no matter how big the cooperative brands are, Uniqlo has never abandoned itself and is still the brand that provides high-quality, affordable products for everyone, thus building extremely solid brand loyalty.
3. Scarcity manufacturing and hunger marketing
When high-value IP meets the ultimate cost performance, high sales are expected. But the brilliance of Uniqlo is that it does not always meet everyone’s needs, but uses scarcity as a lever to leverage greater market enthusiasm and topic volume.
Many of Uniqlo’s blockbuster co-brands have clear limited labels – whether they are limited or limited, they send a clear signal: miss it and don’t have it anymore.
This sell-out-by-treat strategy of never easily restocking turns an ordinary consumer product into an investment product with collectible value and appreciation potential.
As mentioned above, in the KAWS: SUMMER series, when the official launched the banner of the last cooperation, the value of a T-shirt was instantly given an out-of-print aura, completely detonating consumers’ FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) psychology.
This shortage of supply is followed by a spectacular rush to buy. Videos and pictures of consumers queuing up, posting orders on social media, and even complaining about the rush to buy process have become the best advertisements for brands without paying, and they have become viral on the Internet, attracting the curiosity and attention of a large number of users outside the circle, further amplifying the influence of co-branded models.
As a result, an efficient cycle is formed: the launch of blockbuster co-branded → triggers a rush to buy → sells out quickly to create a buzz → consumers look forward to the next round of co-branding. In this way, Uniqlo continues to control the rhythm of the market.
4. Online and offline linkage to create a sense of pilgrimage
If online channels are the main battlefield to create a sense of scarcity and urgency, then offline stores are the experience site for Uniqlo to implement co-branded culture. As a model of omni-channel marketing, Uniqlo sublimates purchasing behavior into a cultural pilgrimage full of ritual through seamless linkage between online and offline.
Online, Uniqlo is simultaneously sold through its official website, mini program and e-commerce flagship store, accurately creating an atmosphere of instant space. The constantly refreshed word sold out not only stimulates consumers’ adrenaline, but also becomes the most intuitive indicator to measure the popularity of co-branding, further strengthening the scarcity and topicality of the product.
Offline, Uniqlo is committed to building stores into an immersive IP experience space. During the release of a major co-branded collection, you may walk into more than just a clothing store. The entire UT area will be transformed into a small themed exhibition: elaborate poster walls, looping IP promotional videos, and a matrix of models dressed in co-branded models……
This detailed arrangement makes the shopping process feel like a pilgrimage for fans to love and find like-minded people.
Through the strategy of online and offline linkage, the emotions of consumers are deeply bound, allowing them to gain a sense of spiritual belonging and participation while obtaining material satisfaction.
In today’s extremely rich material world, why are consumers paying?
What people buy is an expression of identity, circle identity and emotional sustenance. Through small T-shirts, Uniqlo accurately transforms these intangible spiritual needs into physical goods within reach.
It sells not clothing, but social currency – a Labubu T-shirt is your business card to the trendy toy circle; A Final Fantasy UT is a tacit code between you and your contemporaries; A +J shirt is your silent declaration of minimalist aesthetics.
What is more worth pondering is that Uniqlo’s co-branded model provides a new and more culturally sustainable development path for the fast fashion industry. It is no longer just chasing fleeting trends, but combines fast consumption rhythm with slow cultural precipitation through deep bundling with classic IP.
What consumers buy home is no longer a piece of clothing that is lost after one season, but a feeling worth cherishing. In a way, this extends the life cycle of products and reshapes the relationship between brands and consumers – from simple buying and selling to long-term dialogues based on shared cultural loves.
What can be worn on the body is never just a piece of cloth, but a story, an attitude, and a living self.
