A manufacturing error resulting in a “despairing” expression on a stuffed horse toy has led to unexpected sales success in China, tapping into a cultural sentiment of worker fatigue and burnout as the country prepares to celebrate the Year of the Horse on February 17.
“Crying Horse” Toy Goes Viral
The red horse toy, produced by Happy Sister in Yiwu, China, was intended to have a cheerful grin, but a factory mistake positioned the smile upside down, giving the toy the appearance of tears streaming from its nostrils.
Despite the error, the toy quickly gained popularity on Chinese social media, resonating with consumers experiencing corporate pressure and long working hours. The toy also aligns with a growing trend for “ugly-cute” characters, similar to Pop Mart’s Labubu.
“People joked that the crying horse is how you look at work, while the smiling one is how you look after work,” said Zhang Huoqing, owner of Happy Sister, to Reuters.
By mid-January, the factory was receiving over 15,000 daily orders, prompting the addition of 10 new production lines.
Many Chinese white-collar workers have experienced the 996 system, requiring 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. workdays, six days a week. While the practice was outlawed in 2021 following the death of an e-commerce employee after a late shift, long overtime hours remain common.
“This little horse looks so sad and pitiful, just like the way I feel at work,” wrote a buyer named Tuan Tuan Mami, according to SCMP.
Jacob Cooke, CEO of WPIC Marketing + Technologies, told Business Insider that consumer products and internet memes provide outlets for discussing work pressure, particularly on platforms like Xiaohongshu.
Wholesale orders for the “crying horse” have been placed from South Africa, East Asia, and the Middle East, with plans to expand the merchandise line in the coming year.
Zhang Huoqing stated that the factory has been unable to determine which employee made the error, and as a result, will be giving all employees a bonus.
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