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Subculture Series: How Mini Brands Got Gen Z and Millennials Buying Tiny Toys

YPulse’s Subculture Series shares deep dives into some of Gen Z and Millennials’ ever-evolving list of subcultures. This month, we’re taking a look at the mini brands subculture and how a fandom of Gen Z and Millennials are obsessed with all things tiny…

Written and Edited by the YPulse Editorial Team

May 8 2023
North America

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Gen Z and Millennials are obsessed with mini brands and tiny objects, even though they may originally have been for younger consumers
The social media content created around mini products, like ASMR unboxing, is fascinating to them and gives a sense of nostalgia
Any brand can be a part of the mini brand subculture, if not through having their own mini products, then by creating “mini” content on social media

For those who haven’t heard, mini brands have taken the toy market by storm over the last couple of years, particularly among Gen Z and Millennials who have shown immense love for these tiny replicas of everyday consumer products. What started as a niche trend has now become a full-blown phenomenon: on social media, mini brand videos have amassed billions of views. The growing subculture of mini brand collectors ultimately centers around the fun and novelty of it, but also, in a world where new product drops can feel mundane and repetitive, mini brands offer a unique and playful twist....