Toy becomes a popular symbol of workplace fatigue after manufacturing error gave it a frown instead of a smile
On 17 February China will celebrate the start of the year of the horse, the zodiac sign symbolising high energy and hard work. But the runaway success of a defective stuffed toy suggests that many Chinese are not feeling the vibe.
A red horse toy produced by Happy Sister in the city of Yiwu in the west of China was meant to wear a broad grin, but a factory error meant it hit the shops sporting a despairing grimace. Because the smile was placed upside down, the horse’s nostrils could be interpreted as tears.
Despite the manufacturing error, the toy has become an unexpected success with shoppers after going viral on Chinese social media and capturing a zeitgeist of corporate fatigue and worker burnout.
It also taps into a broader trend for so-called “ugly-cute” toys, popularised in recent years by characters such as Pop Mart’s toothy monster Labubu.
