
? 近年來,,Jellycat在Z世代消費者中大獲成功,,尤其是在2022至2023年間,其營收達到2.52億美元,。這一增長部分源于運氣,。在疫情期間,年輕人普遍感到孤獨,,他們對Jellycat的追捧推動了銷量,。但專家也表示,運氣只是部分原因,,除此之外,,該玩具公司還巧妙運用了其他關(guān)鍵營銷策略。
在全美眾多Z世代家庭的書架上,,擺放著一只只長著柔軟小腳的毛絨玩具,,而它們的主人則樂于炫耀自己的收藏,。
英國玩具品牌Jellycat近年來在毛絨玩具市場迅速崛起,Z世代消費者的喜愛成為其增長的關(guān)鍵動力,。從棒球毛絨公仔到蓬松花椰菜,,該品牌的產(chǎn)品種類豐富,并在全球市場,,尤其是在美國市場大獲成功,。
2023年上半年至2024年同期,Jellycat在美國的銷售額增長了41%,,而毛絨玩具市場的整體增幅僅為2%,。與此同時,該公司在全球范圍內(nèi)業(yè)績飆升:2013年至2022年間,,全球年收入增長了八倍,,從約700萬美元增至5,700萬美元。從2022年底至2023年12月,,Jellycat的營收增長37%,,達到約2.52億美元,稅前利潤增長24%,。這一增長恰逢毛絨玩具市場的爆發(fā)式擴張,2023年市場規(guī)模估計達到117.6億美元,。
雖然Jellycat目前在美國熱度飆升,,但該品牌的玩具在英國早已成為兒童房中的經(jīng)典之選。Jellycat由托馬斯·加塔克和威廉·加塔克兄弟于1999年創(chuàng)立,,最初因其標志性的毛絨兔玩偶而廣受關(guān)注,。然而,該品牌傳統(tǒng)的毛絨玩具外觀與如今的在售產(chǎn)品有很大不同,。這一轉(zhuǎn)變正體現(xiàn)了在新冠疫情背景下,,其在年輕成年消費者群體中走紅的趨勢。
《財富》雜志采訪了多位營銷專家,,探討這一兒童玩具品牌為何正成為年輕成年人的“新寵”,,以及這種成功是否可以復制。專家表示,,人們渴望通過玩具尋求慰藉,,毛絨玩具在艱難時期成為心理安慰的依托。同時,,該品牌以獨特方式構(gòu)建社區(qū),,其爆紅也恰逢消費熱潮的關(guān)鍵時期。
全球營銷數(shù)據(jù)公司凱度(Kantar)的文化專家比亞·貝扎馬特對《財富》雜志表示,,“Jellycat的崛起恰好處于一場‘完美風暴’之中,。疫情后,,人們迫切需要逃避現(xiàn)實、尋求安慰,。其中有些因素是無意促成的,,因為它們早已存在。只是它們的出現(xiàn)剛好趕上了這個品牌真正騰飛的時刻,?!?/p>
Z世代對Jellycat狂熱追捧:在玩具中尋找慰藉
年輕人對毛絨玩具的熱愛已達到瘋狂程度。根據(jù)消費者趨勢分析工具Glimpse的數(shù)據(jù),,過去一年間,,Jellycat的消費者關(guān)注度飆升了171%。
該品牌的再次崛起,,很大程度上得益于Z世代消費者的熱情支持,,尤其是那些在TikTok上分享自己收藏的人群。TikTok在新冠疫情期間成為主流社交平臺,,人們被困在家中,,與外界隔離。專家向《財富》雜志表示,,許多人感到孤獨,,渴望慰藉,而毛絨玩具恰好填補了這一情感空缺,。
貝扎馬特表示,,“當我們談?wù)摗拷濉瘯r,我們不得不面對當下這個充滿不確定性和動蕩的世界,。人們正在尋找能夠帶來慰藉感的工具,、空間和品牌?!?/p>
Z世代內(nèi)容創(chuàng)作者在TikTok上分享自己的Jellycat收藏,,相關(guān)視頻迅速走紅,收獲數(shù)百萬次瀏覽和數(shù)十萬點贊,。人們喜歡這種能以自己喜愛的風格購買“微小慰藉”的方式,。從水果蔬菜到龍和恐龍,再到咖啡杯和濃縮咖啡杯,,Jellycat幾乎將一切事物化作毛絨玩具,,讓消費體驗更加個性化。Z世代通過“犒賞自己”的方式,,借助懷舊情懷激發(fā)內(nèi)心的慰藉感,。
玩具協(xié)會(Toy Association)傳播專家詹妮弗·林奇對《財富》雜志表示,“一個值得關(guān)注的因素是,‘某個年齡之后就不該擁有玩具’的刻板觀念正在被打破,。這一轉(zhuǎn)變在疫情期間表現(xiàn)得尤為明顯,,當時許多人通過玩具尋求慰藉。我們逐漸打破了過去人為設(shè)定的界限,,不再將玩具的主人局限于兒童,,而是轉(zhuǎn)而接受青少年甚至成年人也可以擁有它們?!?/p>
專家指出,,像Jellycat這樣的慰藉型產(chǎn)品,也反映了Z世代對心理健康的高度重視,。作為情緒健康狀況最為堪憂的一代人之一,,Z世代對心理健康問題格外敏感,并且敢于發(fā)聲,。紐約大學斯特恩商學院(NYU Stern)市場營銷副教授賈里德·沃森對《財富》雜志表示,,年輕人愿意接納任何能讓自己感覺更好的事物。從寶可夢卡牌到電子游戲,,人們正在為玩具買單,。
沃森表示,“這一文化轉(zhuǎn)折最早始于千禧一代,,但真正被廣泛認可是在Z世代,。從最基本的層面來看,這一趨勢與心理健康息息相關(guān),。隨著年齡增長,,人們逐漸接受這樣的觀念:‘我可以享受這些物品,它們能帶給我某種慰藉,、放松,甚至支持,?!@就拓展了兒童玩具品類的市場價值?!?/p>
Jellycat還成功在消費者之間建立了社區(qū)紐帶,,這對尋求歸屬感的Z世代極具吸引力。Reddit子社區(qū)r/Jellycatplush已有超過46,000名成員,,他們在這里討論新品發(fā)布,、展示自己的龐大收藏。專家認為,,這種社區(qū)氛圍正是Jellycat深受歡迎的重要原因,。
貝扎馬特表示,“Jellycat不僅僅是一件實體玩具,它代表著圍繞它所構(gòu)建的整個世界,,以及人們對聯(lián)系和歸屬感的需求,。Jellycat的品牌核心在于分享。這正是它如此有趣的地方,,也是其社區(qū)價值如此重要的原因,。”
營銷策略:稀缺性,、潮流效應(yīng)與成人快閃店
Jellycat的走紅看似偶然,,某種程度上也確實如此。但專家指出,,該品牌還巧妙運用了幾項關(guān)鍵營銷策略,,使其毛絨玩具產(chǎn)品始終熱銷不斷。
當年輕人開始大量購買Jellycat毛絨玩具并在社交媒體上分享時,,Jellycat迅速抓住這一趨勢,。品牌相繼推出多家體驗店,包括在倫敦塞爾福里奇百貨(Selfridges)開設(shè)的“炸魚薯條”主題展臺,,以及在紐約知名玩具店FAO Schwarz內(nèi)部打造的美式餐廳風格快閃店,。店員們在結(jié)賬前會表演互動秀,比如翻轉(zhuǎn)Jellycat漢堡或裝填毛絨薯條玩具盒,。這些活動在TikTok上迅速走紅,,相關(guān)視頻最高播放量達2,200萬次。
貝扎馬特指出,,Jellycat選擇塞爾福里奇百貨作為體驗店落地地點頗具深意,。相比FAO Schwarz等傳統(tǒng)玩具店,塞爾福里奇百貨的定位更偏向成年消費群體,,而Jellycat正是瞄準這一市場,,迎合成年人對“玩樂體驗”的需求。
Jellycat在銷售渠道的選擇上也經(jīng)過深思熟慮,。在美國和英國等主要消費市場,,該品牌的毛絨玩具主要在文具店和兒童用品商店出售。這使得Jellycat的產(chǎn)品相對難以找到,,即便消費者發(fā)現(xiàn)了門店,,庫存往往也十分有限。Jellycat以“常年售罄”著稱,,并不斷更換毛絨玩具的設(shè)計,,營造出一種“追著買”的消費體驗。
貝扎馬特表示,,“他們在制造稀缺感方面非常在行,,同時也成功開發(fā)了成年消費者市場,,精準挖掘那些令人著迷的獨特元素?!?/p>
然而,,營銷專家指出,Jellycat的成功策略并非完全可復制,。該品牌崛起的一個關(guān)鍵因素是純粹的運氣:當人們在疫情封鎖期間渴望玩具時,,恰好選擇了它。專家表示,,Jellycat最初的吸引力源于其產(chǎn)品的高品質(zhì),,但最終,是Z世代推動了這股潮流,,使其成為“現(xiàn)象級”毛絨玩具,。沃森指出,許多品牌已經(jīng)開始嘗試復制Jellycat的成功模式,。
他說道,,“如果我們尋找其他可能復制這種‘魔力’的領(lǐng)域,卡牌市場就是一個例子,。比如寶可夢最近推出了千禧一代童年時期的原版卡牌,。”
貝扎馬特認為,,新興品牌可能比成熟品牌更有機會復制Jellycat的成功,。新興品牌受到的限制較少,可以更自由地嘗試創(chuàng)新,。
她表示,,“對于成熟品牌而言,想要復制Jellycat的成功,,難度會更大,。這些品牌已經(jīng)擁有了自己的傳統(tǒng)、運作方式,、商業(yè)模式和分銷體系,,種種既有框架反而成了障礙。但如果是一個新品牌進入玩具市場,,它會擁有更大的發(fā)揮空間。關(guān)鍵在于,,它能否像Jellycat一樣具有持久的影響力,,抑或只是另一個在TikTok上炒作的曇花一現(xiàn)的品牌?!保ㄘ敻恢形木W(wǎng))
翻譯:劉進龍
審校:汪皓
? 近年來,,Jellycat在Z世代消費者中大獲成功,尤其是在2022至2023年間,其營收達到2.52億美元,。這一增長部分源于運氣,。在疫情期間,年輕人普遍感到孤獨,,他們對Jellycat的追捧推動了銷量,。但專家也表示,運氣只是部分原因,,除此之外,,該玩具公司還巧妙運用了其他關(guān)鍵營銷策略。
在全美眾多Z世代家庭的書架上,,擺放著一只只長著柔軟小腳的毛絨玩具,,而它們的主人則樂于炫耀自己的收藏。
英國玩具品牌Jellycat近年來在毛絨玩具市場迅速崛起,,Z世代消費者的喜愛成為其增長的關(guān)鍵動力,。從棒球毛絨公仔到蓬松花椰菜,該品牌的產(chǎn)品種類豐富,,并在全球市場,,尤其是在美國市場大獲成功。
2023年上半年至2024年同期,,Jellycat在美國的銷售額增長了41%,,而毛絨玩具市場的整體增幅僅為2%。與此同時,,該公司在全球范圍內(nèi)業(yè)績飆升:2013年至2022年間,,全球年收入增長了八倍,從約700萬美元增至5,700萬美元,。從2022年底至2023年12月,,Jellycat的營收增長37%,達到約2.52億美元,,稅前利潤增長24%,。這一增長恰逢毛絨玩具市場的爆發(fā)式擴張,2023年市場規(guī)模估計達到117.6億美元,。
雖然Jellycat目前在美國熱度飆升,,但該品牌的玩具在英國早已成為兒童房中的經(jīng)典之選。Jellycat由托馬斯·加塔克和威廉·加塔克兄弟于1999年創(chuàng)立,,最初因其標志性的毛絨兔玩偶而廣受關(guān)注,。然而,該品牌傳統(tǒng)的毛絨玩具外觀與如今的在售產(chǎn)品有很大不同,。這一轉(zhuǎn)變正體現(xiàn)了在新冠疫情背景下,,其在年輕成年消費者群體中走紅的趨勢,。
《財富》雜志采訪了多位營銷專家,探討這一兒童玩具品牌為何正成為年輕成年人的“新寵”,,以及這種成功是否可以復制,。專家表示,人們渴望通過玩具尋求慰藉,,毛絨玩具在艱難時期成為心理安慰的依托,。同時,該品牌以獨特方式構(gòu)建社區(qū),,其爆紅也恰逢消費熱潮的關(guān)鍵時期,。
全球營銷數(shù)據(jù)公司凱度(Kantar)的文化專家比亞·貝扎馬特對《財富》雜志表示,“Jellycat的崛起恰好處于一場‘完美風暴’之中,。疫情后,,人們迫切需要逃避現(xiàn)實、尋求安慰,。其中有些因素是無意促成的,,因為它們早已存在。只是它們的出現(xiàn)剛好趕上了這個品牌真正騰飛的時刻,?!?/p>
Z世代對Jellycat狂熱追捧:在玩具中尋找慰藉
年輕人對毛絨玩具的熱愛已達到瘋狂程度。根據(jù)消費者趨勢分析工具Glimpse的數(shù)據(jù),,過去一年間,,Jellycat的消費者關(guān)注度飆升了171%。
該品牌的再次崛起,,很大程度上得益于Z世代消費者的熱情支持,,尤其是那些在TikTok上分享自己收藏的人群。TikTok在新冠疫情期間成為主流社交平臺,,人們被困在家中,,與外界隔離。專家向《財富》雜志表示,,許多人感到孤獨,,渴望慰藉,而毛絨玩具恰好填補了這一情感空缺,。
貝扎馬特表示,,“當我們談?wù)摗拷濉瘯r,我們不得不面對當下這個充滿不確定性和動蕩的世界,。人們正在尋找能夠帶來慰藉感的工具,、空間和品牌?!?/p>
Z世代內(nèi)容創(chuàng)作者在TikTok上分享自己的Jellycat收藏,,相關(guān)視頻迅速走紅,收獲數(shù)百萬次瀏覽和數(shù)十萬點贊,。人們喜歡這種能以自己喜愛的風格購買“微小慰藉”的方式,。從水果蔬菜到龍和恐龍,再到咖啡杯和濃縮咖啡杯,,Jellycat幾乎將一切事物化作毛絨玩具,,讓消費體驗更加個性化。Z世代通過“犒賞自己”的方式,,借助懷舊情懷激發(fā)內(nèi)心的慰藉感,。
玩具協(xié)會(Toy Association)傳播專家詹妮弗·林奇對《財富》雜志表示,“一個值得關(guān)注的因素是,,‘某個年齡之后就不該擁有玩具’的刻板觀念正在被打破,。這一轉(zhuǎn)變在疫情期間表現(xiàn)得尤為明顯,當時許多人通過玩具尋求慰藉,。我們逐漸打破了過去人為設(shè)定的界限,,不再將玩具的主人局限于兒童,而是轉(zhuǎn)而接受青少年甚至成年人也可以擁有它們,。”
專家指出,,像Jellycat這樣的慰藉型產(chǎn)品,,也反映了Z世代對心理健康的高度重視。作為情緒健康狀況最為堪憂的一代人之一,,Z世代對心理健康問題格外敏感,,并且敢于發(fā)聲。紐約大學斯特恩商學院(NYU Stern)市場營銷副教授賈里德·沃森對《財富》雜志表示,,年輕人愿意接納任何能讓自己感覺更好的事物,。從寶可夢卡牌到電子游戲,人們正在為玩具買單,。
沃森表示,,“這一文化轉(zhuǎn)折最早始于千禧一代,但真正被廣泛認可是在Z世代,。從最基本的層面來看,,這一趨勢與心理健康息息相關(guān)。隨著年齡增長,,人們逐漸接受這樣的觀念:‘我可以享受這些物品,,它們能帶給我某種慰藉、放松,,甚至支持,?!@就拓展了兒童玩具品類的市場價值?!?/p>
Jellycat還成功在消費者之間建立了社區(qū)紐帶,,這對尋求歸屬感的Z世代極具吸引力。Reddit子社區(qū)r/Jellycatplush已有超過46,000名成員,,他們在這里討論新品發(fā)布,、展示自己的龐大收藏。專家認為,,這種社區(qū)氛圍正是Jellycat深受歡迎的重要原因,。
貝扎馬特表示,“Jellycat不僅僅是一件實體玩具,,它代表著圍繞它所構(gòu)建的整個世界,,以及人們對聯(lián)系和歸屬感的需求。Jellycat的品牌核心在于分享,。這正是它如此有趣的地方,,也是其社區(qū)價值如此重要的原因?!?/p>
營銷策略:稀缺性,、潮流效應(yīng)與成人快閃店
Jellycat的走紅看似偶然,某種程度上也確實如此,。但專家指出,,該品牌還巧妙運用了幾項關(guān)鍵營銷策略,使其毛絨玩具產(chǎn)品始終熱銷不斷,。
當年輕人開始大量購買Jellycat毛絨玩具并在社交媒體上分享時,,Jellycat迅速抓住這一趨勢。品牌相繼推出多家體驗店,,包括在倫敦塞爾福里奇百貨(Selfridges)開設(shè)的“炸魚薯條”主題展臺,,以及在紐約知名玩具店FAO Schwarz內(nèi)部打造的美式餐廳風格快閃店。店員們在結(jié)賬前會表演互動秀,,比如翻轉(zhuǎn)Jellycat漢堡或裝填毛絨薯條玩具盒,。這些活動在TikTok上迅速走紅,相關(guān)視頻最高播放量達2,200萬次,。
貝扎馬特指出,,Jellycat選擇塞爾福里奇百貨作為體驗店落地地點頗具深意。相比FAO Schwarz等傳統(tǒng)玩具店,,塞爾福里奇百貨的定位更偏向成年消費群體,,而Jellycat正是瞄準這一市場,迎合成年人對“玩樂體驗”的需求。
Jellycat在銷售渠道的選擇上也經(jīng)過深思熟慮,。在美國和英國等主要消費市場,,該品牌的毛絨玩具主要在文具店和兒童用品商店出售。這使得Jellycat的產(chǎn)品相對難以找到,,即便消費者發(fā)現(xiàn)了門店,,庫存往往也十分有限。Jellycat以“常年售罄”著稱,,并不斷更換毛絨玩具的設(shè)計,營造出一種“追著買”的消費體驗,。
貝扎馬特表示,,“他們在制造稀缺感方面非常在行,同時也成功開發(fā)了成年消費者市場,,精準挖掘那些令人著迷的獨特元素,。”
然而,,營銷專家指出,,Jellycat的成功策略并非完全可復制。該品牌崛起的一個關(guān)鍵因素是純粹的運氣:當人們在疫情封鎖期間渴望玩具時,,恰好選擇了它,。專家表示,Jellycat最初的吸引力源于其產(chǎn)品的高品質(zhì),,但最終,,是Z世代推動了這股潮流,使其成為“現(xiàn)象級”毛絨玩具,。沃森指出,,許多品牌已經(jīng)開始嘗試復制Jellycat的成功模式。
他說道,,“如果我們尋找其他可能復制這種‘魔力’的領(lǐng)域,,卡牌市場就是一個例子。比如寶可夢最近推出了千禧一代童年時期的原版卡牌,?!?/p>
貝扎馬特認為,新興品牌可能比成熟品牌更有機會復制Jellycat的成功,。新興品牌受到的限制較少,,可以更自由地嘗試創(chuàng)新。
她表示,,“對于成熟品牌而言,,想要復制Jellycat的成功,難度會更大,。這些品牌已經(jīng)擁有了自己的傳統(tǒng),、運作方式,、商業(yè)模式和分銷體系,種種既有框架反而成了障礙,。但如果是一個新品牌進入玩具市場,,它會擁有更大的發(fā)揮空間。關(guān)鍵在于,,它能否像Jellycat一樣具有持久的影響力,,抑或只是另一個在TikTok上炒作的曇花一現(xiàn)的品牌?!保ㄘ敻恢形木W(wǎng))
翻譯:劉進龍
審校:汪皓
? Jellycat has been a smash hit with Gen Z consumers in recent years, making $252 million in revenue between 2022 and 2023. A part of this rise is plain luck, driven by young adults’ Jellycat hype during a lonely lockdown, but experts say the toy company leveraged other key marketing strategies.
Sitting on the shelves of many Gen Z households around the U.S. are plush toys with little soft dangly feet. And their owners are proud to show them off.
British toy company Jellycat has exploded in the plush animal scene in recent years, propelled by popularity among Gen Z consumers. Selling everything from stuffed baseballs to fluffy cauliflower, the heritage brand is winning big—especially in America.
Jellycat sales in the U.S. grew by 41% while general stuffed-animal sales only rose 2%, from the first half of 2023 to the same time in 2024. And the company is raking in all over the world: Annual global income increased eight times between 2013 to 2022, from about $7 million up to $57 million. And between the end of 2022 to December 2023, revenue rose 37% to about $252 million, with pre-tax profits up 24%. This coincided with an explosion of the plush-toy market, which was estimated at $11.76 billion in 2023.
Although Jellycat is currently having a moment in America, the company’s toys are long-standing British playroom staples. Jellycat was founded in 1999 by brothers Thomas and William Gatacre, and became notable for selling its signature bunny plushie. However, the brand’s traditional stuffed animal looks much different than the products it sells today. This shift reflects the popularity it’s having among young-adult consumers, roused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fortune spoke with several marketing experts on why the kids toy brand is so popular among young adults today, and if it’s magic if replicable. They say pandemic lockdowns brought about a desire for comfort through play, and that the stuffies are mental-health comforts in hard times. But the brand also builds community in a unique way—and its popularity emerged during the right moment for a buying boom.
“Jellycat grew in this perfect storm of a post-pandemic need for escape, a need for comfort,” Bia Bezamat, a cultural expert for global marketing data company Kantar, told Fortune. “Some of which was unintentional, because they had been around for a while. It just so happened that now was the moment for their brand to get really big.”
Gen Z’s Jellycat obsession: comfort through play
Young people go crazy for their plush companions. Consumer interest in Jellycat has skyrocketed by 171% over the past year, according to consumer trend tool Glimpse.
A huge part of the brand’s resurgence hinges on enthusiastic Gen Z consumers—especially those who share their collections on TikTok. The social-media app became a staple during the COVID-19 pandemic, when people were stuck inside and isolated from others. Experts told Fortune people were getting lonely and wanted comfort, so they turned to stuffed animals.
“When we talk about comfort, we’re thinking about how the world right now is a really scary place,” Bezamat says. “There is a lot of uncertainty and volatility, and people are trying to find the tools, spaces, and brands that give them that sense of comfort.”
Videos of Gen Z content creators sharing their Jellycat collections on TikTok took off, gaining millions of views and hundreds of thousands of likes. People liked that they could purchase a little comfort in whatever style they wanted. From fruits and veggies, to dragons and dinosaurs, to coffee mugs and espresso cups, Jellycat carried it all—in plushy form. It felt more personal. Gen Z was “treating itself” and using nostalgia to ignite a sense of comfort.
“A factor to consider is the undoing of the stigma of owning toys past a certain age. We really saw that shift take place during the pandemic, when a lot of people were seeking out that comfort through play,” Jennifer Lynch, communications specialist at the Toy Association, told Fortune. “We’ve kind of taken down those barriers that we imposed upon ourselves in terms of tweens, teens, and grown-ups.”
Experts said comfort items like Jellycat also reflect Gen Z’s prioritization of mental health. As one of the generations with the worst emotional well-being, they’re deeply aware and outspoken on the issue. Jared Watson, associate professor of marketing at NYU Stern, told Fortune young people will embrace whatever makes them feel better. From Pokémon trading cards to video games, he says people are cashing out for toys.
“This cultural turning point started with millennials, but really came to light with Gen Z. It came down to mental wellness at a very simple level,” Watson said. “We’re extending the market value for these child categories, as people are aging and saying ‘It’s okay for me to enjoy this. It provides me some level of comfort or relief or support.’”
Jellycat has also created community among its consumers—a draw for Gen Zers seeking togetherness. Subreddit r/Jellycatplush has over 46,000 members, who discuss everything from new toy drops to showing off their vast collections. Experts say that’s a huge part of the appeal.
“It really is not just a physical object, it is about the whole world that comes with it, and people’s needs for finding that bonding and belonging,” Bezamat said. “Jellycat is all about sharing. That’s what makes it so interesting and the community side of it so important.”
Marketing tactics: scarcity, trendiness, and adult pop-ups
Jellycat’s recent fame feels serendipitous—and a part of it is. But experts said the brand also leveraged a few key marketing strategies to keep their stuffies flying off the shelves.
When young adults started buying up the company’s plush toys and posting them online, Jellycat decided to lean in. It opened up several experience stands, including a fish-and-chips stand in a London Selfridges, and a diner location inside the famous New York City toy store FAO Schwarz. Workers will put on a show, flipping a Jellycat burger or packing a toy box of fries before checking out customers. Their efforts blew up on TikTok, with videos reeling in as many as 22 million views.
Bezamat said the choice to put an experience in Selfridges was interesting: The department store is very adult, especially compared to toy locales like FAO Schwarz. Grown-ups were their target audience, and they were feeding into their want for play.
Jellycat’s choice in where to sell products is also deliberate. In major consumer countries like the U.S. and U.K., the stuffies can mostly be found at stationary stores and children’s shops. They’re a bit harder to track down, and even when shoppers find them, stock can be sparse. Jellycat is known for constantly selling out and switching out its plush designs. It creates a buyer experience that feels like a chase.
“They play in scarcity really well. And they also tapped into the adult market by finding the quirky things that people are really into,” Bezamat said.
But there is also something irreplicable about this strategy, according to marketing experts. A huge part of Jellycat’s rise was pure luck—buyers chose to turn to Jellycat stuffed animals specifically when yearning for toys in lockdown. Its initial appeal could be attributed to the toy’s high quality, experts said, but Gen Z really took the lead on choosing the “it” plush. Watson said others are already trying to hop on the bandwagon.
“When we’re looking to other spaces that might be able to capture this magic, we’ve seen some of this with trading cards,” he said. “Pokémon recently released the original card set from millennials’ childhood.”
Bezamat said less established brands might have a better shot at emulating that success. They have fewer constraints, and can run free with their ideas.
“It’s harder for an established brand to try to replicate Jellycat success, because they will have their legacy, ways of working, business model, distribution, etc. They have a lot more barriers,” she said. “But if you’re a new brand coming into the toy business, you have a lot more room to play. It’s just about whether it will have the lasting power that Jellycat has had, or if it will be another trendy TikTok-hype brand.”