Pop culture fans express who they are through what they wear and collect, from anime tees to blind-box toys. They are mostly 18 to 34. The brands here include Pop Mart, Funko, Redbubble, TeePublic, The Souled Store, Redwolf and Akiabara. Studying their ads shows how collectible makers, marketplaces and apparel labels use fandom, humor and scarcity to turn interest into purchases, and how licensed and original designs are pitched differently.
What they wear and collect says who they are, so the product is a statement, not just an item.
Blind boxes and limited editions from Pop Mart and Funko drive repeat buying and completion.
Graphic tees often rely on references only fans understand, which builds belonging.
Redbubble and TeePublic attract buyers who like independent designs.
The Souled Store and Redwolf serve Indian fans, and Akiabara serves Argentine women who mix anime and fashion.
Akiabara is a Buenos Aires-based womenswear brand founded in 1998, known for infusing pop culture, anime, and geek aesthetics into contemporary women's fashion. It operates DTC through its website and own stores across Argentina.
Funko is an Everett, Washington collectibles company founded in 1998, best known for creating the Pop! vinyl figure format. With 1000+ active licenses spanning film, TV, gaming, sports, and music, Funko turned pop-culture fandom into an accessible collecting hobby. The company is publicly traded on Nasdaq (FNKO).
Pop Mart is a Beijing-based art toy and collectibles company founded in 2010 by Wang Ning. Inventor of the modern designer blind-box format, Pop Mart creates original IP characters like Molly and SKULLPANDA and licenses global brands, selling through retail stores, vending machines, and a robust DTC digital channel. Also searched as Pop.
Redbubble is an online marketplace and print-on-demand platform where independent artists sell designs applied to apparel, home decor, and accessories, produced and shipped on demand. It operates a global e-commerce platform connecting artists with consumers. Redbubble advertises across Meta placements to drive traffic to its marketplace.
Redwolf is an Indian pop-culture apparel brand selling licensed and original graphic t-shirts, hoodies, and merchandise tied to movies, games, and anime franchises. It sells through its own DTC website and Indian ecommerce marketplaces. Redwolf advertises across Meta placements to reach fandom-driven shoppers.
TeePublic is an online marketplace and print-on-demand platform where independent artists sell designs on t-shirts and other apparel and accessories, produced and shipped on demand. It is part of the Redbubble Group's portfolio of creator marketplaces. TeePublic advertises across Meta placements to drive traffic to its platform.
The Souled Store is an Indian DTC fashion brand selling licensed pop-culture and original graphic apparel, including t-shirts, hoodies, and accessories featuring movie, anime, and sports franchises. It sells through its own website, app, and retail stores across India. The brand advertises heavily on Meta placements to reach younger fashion shoppers.
Speak the fandom's language. Specific references, inside jokes and character-driven visuals tell the viewer the brand is one of them. Generic copy fails here because the audience can tell instantly whether a brand understands the thing they love. Use scarcity and collection for toys and figures. Blind-box unboxings, new series reveals and limited runs create excitement and encourage repeat purchases. Short video of an unboxing or a shelf display suits this format. For apparel and marketplaces, show designs on real people. Graphic tees look best in context, worn by fans at events or in daily life. Artist stories and curated collections add a human angle for marketplaces. Mind the licensing. Licensed merchandise and original designs call for different claims, so be clear about what the product is. Time launches to releases, seasons and trending moments, but only where the brand genuinely belongs in the conversation.
Pop Mart centers on designer toys and blind boxes for young collectors. Funko sells licensed vinyl Pop! figures tied to film, TV, games and music. Redbubble and TeePublic are print-on-demand marketplaces where independent artists sell designs, so their ads often highlight variety and discovery. The Souled Store and Redwolf sell licensed and original graphic apparel to young Indian fans, and Akiabara blends pop culture and anime into womenswear. Avoid forced meme usage, careless handling of licensed characters and ads that treat all fandoms alike. When researching their ads, compare how each brand opens: a character, a reveal, a design or a joke. Look at what offers appear, how collections are grouped, and which formats dominate. Those patterns show how each brand turns fandom into a repeatable ad angle.
Pop Mart, Funko, Redbubble, TeePublic, The Souled Store, Redwolf and Akiabara sell collectibles, licensed merchandise, artist-designed apparel and fandom-inspired fashion. Many also show a shelf or collection to suggest that owning one piece leads to wanting more. Artist marketplaces and regional apparel labels round out the group for fans who prefer designs over collectibles.
They use unboxing and reveal formats, limited releases and series launches, and show how pieces look when collected. Pop Mart's blind boxes are built around that surprise. Their ads often use browsing-style carousels, so shoppers can pick a fandom or style and find something that fits.
Redbubble and TeePublic highlight variety and independent artists, showing designs on products and grouping them by interest or fandom. Apparel brands also tailor to local fandoms, which is why The Souled Store and Redwolf focus on Indian fans. Both rely on sheer breadth, so ads often group designs by fandom, humor or interest to help shoppers find a match quickly.
Search the brands in AdLibrary to compare current ads, hooks, formats and offers across Facebook and Instagram. Compare how each opens, whether with a character, a reveal or a design, and what offer follows. Saving ads over time shows which launches and fandoms each brand returns to.
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