SG looks to regulate blind boxes sales, but maybe brands should learn to self-regulate instead

Singapore is moving to regulate the sale of blind boxes, but marketers may have an opportunity to lead with self-regulation as mystery collectibles sweep across Asia. Despite the charm of blind boxes, brands must wrestle with how to engage consumers responsibly - without exploiting the psychological triggers behind their appeal.

In fact, the problem has seen the Singapore government try to introduce regulations for the sale of blind boxes. According to Singapore minister for home affairs K Shanmugam, the regulations are being drafted after his ministry and the Gambling Regulatory Authority studied the issue, particularly around disclosure of odds for blind box or “gacha” products. 

The government’s concern stems from the fact that these chance-based toys can mimic gambling mechanics, especially for younger consumers, and may encourage risk-taking behaviour if left unchecked.

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Blind boxes – sealed packages containing a mystery figurine or collectible – have become a cultural phenomenon across the Asia Pacific region, which currently dominates global production and consumption. In 2024, China alone represented over 60% of the global blind box toy market, with more than 20,000 active retail outlets and pop-up locations dedicated to blind box toys. Over 80% of Chinese youth aged 15 to 30 have purchased blind box toys at least once, with 35% purchasing monthly or more frequently. So entrenched is the craze that China’s state media, People’s Daily, called for tighter restrictions on sales to children under eight.

The phenomenon is also strong in Japan and South Korea, where high penetration of “vending machine” culture and anime-inspired IPs has fueled widespread consumer engagement.

Against this backdrop, industry players caution that while blind boxes offer brands a highly engaging way to connect with consumers, the mechanics behind them – chance, scarcity, and surprise – can also amplify risky behaviour if not carefully managed. Marketers must therefore calibrate campaigns to preserve the excitement of discovery while embedding safeguards that protect consumers and uphold brand credibility.

The social pull of blind boxes

In a conversation with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, Lesley John, CEO of Virtue Asia, said the blind box economy didn’t grow because of the product, it grew because of platforms. “Unboxing is content, and content is currency. What used to be a retail transaction is now a social performance. The real value isn’t what you pull from the box, it’s what you post after,” she said. 

Explaining the popularity further, she shared that blind boxes turn consumption into participation, and as such, consumers not just buying a product, but rather they are buying into a moment of anticipation, a community ritual, and a story that can be shared. Especially in Asia where drop culture and collectibles intersect with fandom, blind boxes sit naturally within an ecosystem of hype, resale and digital amplification.

“In a world of infinite choice, surprise becomes a premium experience. Blind boxes reintroduce play into commerce, and play is incredibly sticky. Brands such as POP MART have mastered this by building entire character universes that fans emotionally invest in, while collaborations with brands from UNIQLO to local F&B players show how the mechanics can travel across categories,” she added. 

At the end of the day, the popularity of the blind boxes is akin to “mystery marketing” and stems from a powerful intersection of consumer psychology and community building, explained Adora Sarah Chou, CMO of Guzman y Gomez. Similar to John, she believes that in a digital-first world, blind boxes create a shared “unboxing” culture where fans trade items and share their wins on social media, turning customers into an active community, driving social connection and continuous brand love. Chou added that the gamification aspect of blind boxes also adds a layer of play to the brand relationship.

Knowing the risks before getting into the craze

In addition to POP MART and UNIQLO, consumers in Asia have also seen blind box activations from LEGO, McDonald’s, KFC, Starbucks, MINISO and FairPrice take shape.

While Chou and her team at Guzman y Gomez are yet to execute a blind box campaign, they are closely observing the evolution of this trend within the local marketing landscape.

“We believe that any form of engagement should prioritise the trust and well-being of our guests and community; therefore, while we appreciate the ‘surprise and delight’ appeal of mystery-based marketing, we are committed to ensuring that any future innovations in this space would be designed with ethical safeguards and full alignment with upcoming regulatory standards to protect our guests from potential risks,” she said.

While brands stand a lot to gain if done right, Chou warns that such chance-based retail experiences could serve as a “gateway to riskier behaviours later in life” such as gambling. 

Additionally, John warns that treating blind boxes as a gimmick will, in turn, cause audiences to treat your brand the same way. She said:

Scarcity without story feels manipulative. Scarcity with meaning feels magical. Brands need to know the difference.

Impacting the world of luxury

Beyond the mass consumer brands, Rahat Kapoor, editorial director for Beyond the Boardroom which covers content around culture, commerce and luxury, shares that even in the world of luxury, blind boxes have left their mark.

“This behaviour reflects a wider cultural shift - including within luxury - where consumers are increasingly drawn to experiences that deliver feeling rather than just status, whether that’s nostalgia, discovery or a small sense of thrill,” she said.

“Many adults who grew up with gachapon culture are now returning to it with greater spending power, and that mindset is influencing how desirability is constructed more broadly.”

Kapur shared that even in higher-end spaces, there are echoes of this experience being recreated through limited reveals, surprise drops and more playful launches.

“Luxury is not becoming less exclusive, but it is becoming more experiential, leaning into storytelling and anticipation as new forms of value,” she said.

Nonetheless, there are risks unique to luxury players in particular as over-reliance on mystery mechanics can undermine craftsmanship narratives - especially if the product begins to feel like a lottery rather than an intentional creation.

The challenge, as such, will be balancing emotional engagement with transparency and trust.

Because hype may drive attention in the short term, but credibility is what sustains a brand over time.

Anish Daryani, president director at Havas Moonfolks, said at the end of the day marketers must be aware that blind boxes are stoking a “gambling instinct” that humans yearn for. While the benefits might seem numerous for brands taking part in this cultural phenomenon, the risk is that brands stand to make a handful of people happy at cost of disappointing hundreds - and this might be particularly hard for luxury brands.

"While blind boxes can work well as sampling activations for mass-market brands, but premium [or luxury] brands, there is a risk in diminishing value by partaking in them too often," he said. 

Adding to the expert chorus, Andreas Vogiatzak, non-executive chairman of GO Communications, noted that it’s the psychology of surprise – the unknown and the unexpected – that draws consumers in. Moreover, their tag is sometimes low enough that consumers can indulge without hesitation.

In the end, brands can chase the buzz, but they can’t gamble with trust; engagement comes cheap, yet misjudgment costs dearly.

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