BEIJING, May 7, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- From 24 to 28 April, POP MART held a DIMOO-themed pop-up at Macquarie Centre in Sydney, Australia, featuring the latest DIMOO Animal Kingdom Series designed by AYAN. Infused with local Australian vibes, the pop-up attracted a massive crowd of fans drawn to its natural charm. On 27 April, an artist fansign event took place at the pop-up, where AYAN engaged in deep interaction with Australian fans, creating an electric atmosphere on site.
Besides fansign event, the limited-edition DIMOO-Kangaroo: Cosy Dream Figurine was launched at the pop-up. Inspired by the beloved kangaroo of Australia, this figurine is full of local elements. The accessories of DIMOO Animal Kingdom Series also made their Australian debut at the pop-up. This marks POP MART's inaugural IP-themed pop-up in Australia and AYAN's first fansign event in the region. Fans eagerly lined up for the signing session, with many travelling from other states to attend. One of the fans from other cities expressed, "I've been a big fan of DIMOO since I first encountered the character, and I love the creativity of each series. When I heard that AYAN, the creator of DIMOO, is visiting Australia for a fansign event, I was thrilled that I could finally have a chance to meet and interact with her."
AYAN, POP MART's contracted artist, is a well-known Chinese illustrator, toy designer and artist who graduated from Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts in China. Since 2017, she has been creating the DIMOO WORLD story series, expressing her understanding of life through painting and creation. As the art toy industry continues to evolve, AYAN has become one of the most representative Chinese art toy artists, attracting a large number of fans globally.
In recent years, POP MART has been continuously boosting deep collaborations with global artists, enabling more art toy artists to step into the spotlight and engage in deep interactions with fans worldwide through hosting fansign events. The combination of DIMOO-themed pop-up and AYAN fansign event is also an innovative endeavour by POP MART. Yuki Wu, the General Manager for POP MART Australia and New Zealand, stated, "Currently in Australia, we have nine physical stores, 18 Robo Shops, and one e-commerce channel for local consumers to buy art toys. After accumulating a large number of fans, hosting fansign events is a further way to engage with consumers and better disseminate art toy culture. Interacting with artists during these events allows more people to appreciate the charm of our IPs."
POP MART has continued to promote the culture of art toys globally in addition to fansign events, such as hosting large-scale overseas art toy shows and participating in well-known exhibitions. In 2023, POP MART participated in events such as the MCM Comic Con in the UK, the OZ Comic Con in Melbourne, and the Jakarta Toys and Comics Fair, showcasing popular IPs like SKULLPANDA, MOLLY, DIMOO, THE MONSTERS, etc., deeply demonstrating the charm of these IPs to overseas consumers and attracting more overseas artists and IP licensors to collaborate with POP MART. In September 2023, POP MART hosted its first large-scale overseas art toy show in Singapore, showcasing artworks of over 90 diverse artists from around the world, with a total of over 20,000 visitors in three days. This show enabled global art toy fans to closely engage with their favourite IPs and the imaginative creators behind them.
Established in 2010, POP MART is committed to becoming a leading global entertainment company in the pop culture industry, adhering to the brand concept of "Light up passion and bring joy". It has built a comprehensive operating platform covering the entire pop culture industry chain, focusing on IP incubation and operation, product development and retail, theme parks and experience, and entertainment. POP MART identifies and develops potential artists and designers globally, creating popular IP images and products in the pop culture field through a mature IP operation system. At present, it has incubated and developed well-known IPs such as MOLLY, SKULLPANDA, DIMOO, THE MONSTERS, Hirono, etc.
With the continuous expansion of POP MART's global business, a large number of original Chinese IPs have sparked a whirlwind of trends worldwide, making art toy culture truly take root. As of the end of 2023, POP MART has boasted 80 stores (including joint ventures) outside the Chinese mainland, with 159 Robo Shops (including joint ventures and franchises). According to POP MART's latest financial report, the revenue outside the Chinese mainland reached RMB 1.066 billion in 2023, accounting for 16.9% of the total revenue, and the business performance in the first quarter of 2024 achieved another outstanding result with revenue increasing by 245%-250% year-on-year.
