POP MART’S GENDER-FLUID IP: ANDROGYNOUS CHARACTERS SHAPING CROSS-CULTURAL BRANDING ACROSS DOUYIN AND TIKTOK
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55197/qjssh.v7i3.1206Keywords:
gender-fluid design, IP character branding, cross-cultural brand communication, Pop Mart, visual narrative, TikTokAbstract
Amid accelerating brand globalization and the rise of visual consumption culture among Generation Z, questions about how gender identity is encoded into intellectual property (IP) character design have gained renewed theoretical urgency. This study examines how Pop Mart, a leading Chinese designer toy brand, deploys gender-fluid and androgynous IP character design as a strategic mechanism for cross-cultural branding on Douyin (China) and TikTok (United States). Drawing on 17 semi-structured in-depth interviews with active consumers from both markets and a narrative analysis of six brand advertisements published between 2023 and 2025, this paper investigates how non-binary aesthetic choices embedded in characters such as Molly, Dimoo, Skullpanda, and Labubu shape brand recognition, emotional resonance, and consumer identity across culturally distinct audiences. Guided by post-gender brand theory, glocalization theory, and visual narrative analysis, findings reveal that Pop Mart's androgynous design strategy transcends traditional binary gender marketing by positioning characters as identity-neutral projective surfaces that consumers personalise through emotional engagement. Results further demonstrate that gender fluidity in IP design operates differently across cultural contexts: Chinese consumers emphasise cultural belonging and aesthetic tradition alongside gender ambiguity, while American consumers foreground individual identity expression and stylistic diversity. The study contributes an empirically grounded framework linking gender-fluid visual design, cross-cultural consumer engagement, and digital brand storytelling, offering both theoretical insights and practical implications for global lifestyle brands operating in a post-gender media landscape.
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