Jellycat Plush Toys are Popular: the Power and Healing Behind Emotional Consumption

Jellycat was founded in 1999. It is said that the inspiration came from the founder's four-year-old son's love for jelly and cats. When the brand was first established, Jellycat mainly targeted the children's market and produced soothing toys characterized by softness and healing. Jellycat is very strict in the selection of materials for its products, using high-quality fabrics and fillings to ensure the softness and safety of the toys. The insistence on quality makes Jellycat's toys different from ordinary plush toys in terms of touch, and soon won the trust of parents and the love of children for its unique design and high-quality materials.

Jellycat Fun Food Series

Hotel staff gives SPA to lost Bunny

This is an excellent demonstration of Jellycat as an emotional carrier. Through the anthropomorphic strategy, Jellycat has created cute plush toys and an emotional connection, making dolls an indispensable part of consumers' lives. Consumers buy Jellycat not only to buy dolls, but also to obtain certain emotional value.

Emotional consumption is the mainstream trend in the current consumer market - in addition to meeting basic material needs, consumers pay more attention to the emotional experience and psychological satisfaction brought by goods or services, which covers a variety of complex emotions such as love, respect, recognition, and security. As scholars Hu Zhigang and Zhang Lulu said, "If the remote cause of emotional consumption is consumerism, then the immediate cause is the deepening self-threat that people generally feel under uncertainty. The so-called self-threat refers to the disgusting psychological state felt by individuals when certain specific information or situations (such as unsuccessful promotion, emotional frustration, life difficulties, etc.) suggest that individuals are deficient in some aspects. When consumers as individuals feel self-threat, they will be motivated to get rid of this negative state through various means."

Individuals hope to gain more emotional value and psychological comfort through consumption, thereby relieving stress and discomfort in life. For some consumers, the soft feel and cute appearance of Jellycat plush toys can trigger positive emotions and reduce anxiety and stress; some consumers regard Jellycat toys as their "children" or "pets", and establish a deep emotional connection with them by naming them, dressing them up, taking pictures, etc.; or, when adults face frustration, loneliness or anxiety, holding a Jellycat plush toy is like having a partner to talk to and rely on, which can bring psychological comfort and solace...

Many adult consumers take care of Jellycat dolls as their "pets" or "children". From naming them, arranging their own cribs to taking photos regularly to record their growth process, every step reflects the owner's enthusiasm and care for this special parent-child relationship, and they get a variety of emotional satisfaction from it.

First of all, it is a healing emotion, because Jellycat's dolls are very cute. Whether it is the classic shy Bunny Rabbit, Barcelo Bear, or the plant series and food series created by various whimsical ideas, Jellycat can always give each work unique personality characteristics while maintaining a simple style, such as cute eyes, playful expressions, or small details that make people smile, which easily inspires people's natural love for beautiful things.

"Moe" is "萌え" (Moe) in Japanese. It is widely used in ACG culture and refers to the emotional experience of having a strong liking for a character or thing. Over time, the meaning of "moe" has gradually expanded, not only limited to the field of the second dimension, but also widely used in real life. In a broad sense, "cuteness" can be understood as a trait or state that can inspire people's love, desire to protect, and pleasure. From Jellycat's plush toys to pet cats and dogs, and even various cute cartoon characters on the Internet, "cuteness" is everywhere, and it heals countless people's hearts with its unique charm.

It is human nature to like cute things. Konrad Lorenz proposed the theory of "baby schema". This concept refers to certain physical characteristics, such as big heads, big eyes, small noses, and high foreheads, which are common in infants of humans and other animals. People are always attracted to people and things with baby schema characteristics and are willing to care for them. Psychological studies have also shown that when we face something particularly cute, the brain releases a lot of happy hormones such as dopamine, which helps relieve stress and improve mood.

"Cute" things also give people a feeling of weakness and helplessness, just like the fragile and innocent appearance of children or newly born animals, which inspires people's desire to protect and sense of responsibility. When lower-level needs are met, people will turn to higher-level needs - that is, a sense of belonging, respect, and self-actualization. Caring for "cute things" makes them feel relied upon and needed, and gains emotional comfort, thereby enhancing their sense of accomplishment and self-worth.

While Jellycat's "cute things" can heal emotions, "raising a baby" can also bring players a certain sense of certainty and control.

Humans naturally desire a certain degree of control. When individuals feel that they can influence the outcome of events, they will have a sense of certainty and security. But this is an era full of uncertainty, and adults face unprecedented challenges. From the fierce competition in the job market to the complexity and changeability of social relations, to the constant reshaping of personal identity, this uncertainty weakens their sense of control over the surrounding environment and makes them anxious.

This may go against some people's intuition: Can raising a baby bring a sense of certainty? Shouldn't raising a baby bring uncertainty? Aren't many young people not getting married and having children now because of the many anxieties and uncertainties before and after childbirth?

It is true that childbirth is accompanied by anxiety and uneasiness, but childbirth is still a fairly mainstream choice, and it is still what the British philosopher Russell said, "a vague instinctive emotion" and "primitive and natural." Russell breaks down in detail why humans still desire to be parents: "On the one hand, it is the feeling that a part of one's own body can be eternal, extending its life after the rest of the body dies, and this part may extend the life of another part in the same way in the future, thus making the cell immortal. On the other hand, there is a mixed feeling of power and tenderness. The new creature is helpless, and parents have an impulse to help him. This impulse not only satisfies the parents' love for the child, but also satisfies the parents' love for power. As long as the baby is still helpless, the love you show to him cannot be free from selfish elements, because your nature is to protect your own vulnerable parts."

If you don't want to have children, how can you get this kind of "power love" that is a mixture of power and warmth in your daily life? Pets are becoming an alternative choice for modern people, especially those who are unmarried or married but not pregnant. A few years ago, Zhiyan Consulting had such a data that among the pet-keeping group, unmarried people accounted for 41.4%, and married people without children accounted for 23.8%. 34.9% of the respondents kept pets because they "seeked spiritual sustenance and enriched their emotional life", which accounted for the highest proportion. Keeping pets can bring people the fun of companionship and emotional satisfaction, but it also comes with a lot of responsibility: pets need regular feeding, cleaning, and enough exercise to stay healthy; they may also make their owners worry because of illness or accidents.

Dolls have thus become another mainstream way to satisfy "power love" after giving birth and raising pets. This is a real "painless baby raising", except that the wallet will hurt. As a morphological "inanimate object", a completely controllable object, dolls such as Jellycat's products will not resist, do not require special care, but can be dressed up in any way. For adults who desire more autonomy, this high degree of plasticity just meets their deep need for control, allowing them to find an inner balance and stability when facing the uncertainty of the outside world.

Adults can also fully demonstrate their personality and taste through "painless baby raising". They can choose the style, color, size of the doll, and even design clothes and accessories for it, so as to materialize their own ideas, emotions and dreams, achieve complete control over this small world, and to a certain extent complete self-exploration and expression, and achieve self-affirmation and recognition. Therefore, it is difficult for players who are addicted to Jellycat to "quit", perhaps because this absolute and complete "love of power" makes people unable to stop.

Adults who "painlessly raise babies" have their own "baby circle", which is a unique community composed of plush toy lovers such as Jellycat. Here, they find like-minded friends, freely share stories between themselves and dolls, show new treasures, and discuss how to better take care of these special "children". They are happy to be fathers and crazy about "showing off their babies" without worrying about being accused of "fatherly taste". This connection based on common interests and hobbies promotes the development of deep friendships among members and allows everyone to find a sense of belonging in their small world.

Many adult consumers treat Jellycat dolls as babies, and many consumers treat Jellycat as babies while returning to a childish state. This is particularly evident in the "playing house" shopping experience created by Jellycat physical stores when selling dolls.

Nowadays, more and more adults show a mentality of "not wanting to grow up". This has been described in psychology as Peter Pan syndrome. The term comes from the literary character Peter Pan created by Scottish writer James Barrie, who is a little boy who refuses to grow up. Peter Pan syndrome is used to describe those who have entered adulthood in terms of physical age, but have not adapted to it psychologically, and show child-like behavior patterns and emotional needs.

In the past, people used more negative words to describe Peter Pan syndrome, regarding it as a pathological psychology of avoiding maturity and refusing to take responsibility. However, with the deepening of research and the change of people's concepts, people also try to look at this syndrome from the perspective of understanding and support, believing that it is not only an individual problem, but also part of a social problem. In the current complex and changing social environment, adults are facing unprecedented challenges and pressures. These factors work together on individuals, causing many adults to have a mentality of "not wanting to grow up".

For example, the increasingly fierce competition in the workplace is one of the important causes of anxiety among adults. In order to succeed in their careers, many adults have to devote a lot of time and energy to their work, and this high-intensity work state is often accompanied by huge psychological pressure. Long working hours not only consume personal health, but also deprive them of time to enjoy life, develop hobbies and personal relationships, which undoubtedly increases people's yearning for the carefree childhood.

The continuous rise in living expenses such as housing prices, education and medical costs has brought a heavy economic burden to the younger generation. Faced with high living expenses, many people feel overwhelmed and full of uncertainty about the future. In this case, maintaining the status quo seems to be a relatively safe choice, and "not wanting to grow up" is a way to cope with the difficulties of reality.

Families and society have multiple and complex expectations for adult roles. Whether as children, partners or parents, they need to assume corresponding responsibilities. It is not easy to find a balance between multiple roles, which makes many people unable to do so. Therefore, when recalling the childhood when we only needed to focus on self-growth and didn’t need to consider the expectations of the outside world, we naturally feel a little nostalgic…

Popov, a media person, cited Jung’s archetype theory to explain this “not wanting to grow up” mentality, “There is an ‘archetype’ in the human subconscious, which prompts us to constantly seek a pure, stress-free, arbitrary, and straightforward life state, which is exactly the epitome of our childhood life. This epitome of childhood belongs not only to us personally, but also to the entire human race. It is deeply rooted, innate, and exists in each of us. That is to say, since we were born, we have longed for a life like a child. Even in adulthood, this desire for the archetype is constantly jumping, whether explicitly or implicitly, making us dream of returning to the past.”

In fact, most adults who don't want to grow up have already accepted and experienced the reality of growing up. They are not the Peter Pan who completely refuses to grow up. These adults just leave a space in their hearts for the child who doesn't want to grow up. When facing psychological pressures such as frustration, anxiety, and stress, they can temporarily put aside the so-called mature adaptation skills and methods of adults, and "regress" to the psychological space of children, "having a straightforward mentality and vision like childlike innocence", breaking away from the values of pragmatism, meritocracy, and even successism. "Playing house" with Jellycat dolls may be like this.

Some adults have suffered injuries in their childhood and lack happy memories. For them, participating in the doll culture represented by Jellycat hides a deep and delicate psychological need behind it - "re-nurturing oneself". By interacting with these soft and warm dolls, individuals seem to become the guardians of their own childhood, making up for or reshaping those regretful growth experiences in a gentle and loving way.

There has always been a method of "re-nurturing" in psychotherapy. Two American psychiatrists, Jeffrey E. Young and Janet S. Krosko, introduced this treatment method as follows: the therapist "plays the role of the parent you never had", "One aspect of the treatment involves partial correction of childhood problems. If you did not receive enough care in your childhood, the therapist will care for you. If you are overly criticized, the therapist will support and affirm you. If your parents are too controlling, the therapist will respect your boundaries. If you have been abused, the therapist will tolerate and protect you"...

In addition to "re-nurturing" by the therapist, another method is to "re-nurturing yourself". Adults who have been hurt in childhood can build an ideal growth environment in their imagination, give themselves the love, understanding and acceptance they once desired but never fully obtained, and tell the injured child: You deserve to be loved and it is never your fault. It allows adults to re-explore and integrate their inner world in a safe space in a non-invasive and non-judgmental way.

For many adults, raising a Jellycat doll is to re-nurturing the injured child in their hearts. Through the “playing house” game, they learn how to treat themselves with more kindness and patience. Even the most vulnerable parts can be cared for, and they find ways to reconcile with themselves and nourish themselves. So, although “playing house” with Jellycat dolls may seem childish on the surface, for some people, the psychological value it carries is profound and significant.

Jellycat official website promotional pictures

Even though Jellycat dolls can meet the various emotional needs of adults, from a critical perspective, we can easily find Jellycat's weaknesses. In terms of price, Jellycat's products are relatively high, which makes buying these dolls a luxury consumption behavior. High prices may increase the economic burden of consumers, and may also prompt people to make unnecessary high consumption in pursuit of short-term emotional satisfaction. Further investigation shows that the "playing house" experience created by Jellycat has met the emotional needs of consumers and provided spiritual comfort to a certain extent, but behind this process, there is the exploitation of emotional labor of store employees. Emotional labor refers to the fact that employees must show specific emotions at work to meet the needs of the organization or customers, even if these emotions are not part of their true feelings. For example, store employees need to always maintain a friendly and patient attitude and participate in the "playing house" interaction, even if they are not always in the best condition. This continuous emotional output is accompanied by huge psychological pressure and physical fatigue, but the emotional labor of store employees is ignored and underestimated.

It is not that the tired adults do not understand these principles, but even if they realize that this is a commercial means, a careful packaging of emotions and memories, they are still willing to temporarily put aside their criticism and immerse themselves in the simple happiness and spiritual comfort brought by the dolls. Between busyness and pressure, this seemingly superficial happiness has become a way for them to heal themselves and regain their inner balance. In any case, you must first give yourself the courage and strength to live well. Living means victory, and it is also the premise for improving yourself and society.