Ist es möglich, dass die ausverkaufte Neuproduktion von Pop Mart tatsächlich eine Zeitung ist, die „nichts mit Pop Mart zu tun hat“?
How long has it been since you last read a newspaper? Perhaps for Generation Z, those born around the year 2000, a more accurate question would be: Do you still remember what a newspaper is?
As people keep track of global events in real - time through news apps and social platforms on their phones, and as the "news you might be interested in" that pops up on the screen, calculated by big data, seems to understand your interests better than you do, newspapers - this tangible paper medium that you can hold and feel - have become the most rebellious "trendy collectibles" in this era of the meta - universe hype.
The perfume brand LE LABO once proudly wrote in its newspaper, Oh LE JOURNAL: "This is a cultural commentary newspaper with a humorous aroma. It's only available in our stores, and it's the only thing you can take away for free." Luxury brand LOEWE, during the 2021 pandemic, ingeniously presented its autumn - winter collection on a newspaper with the front - page headline "THE LOEWE SHOW HAS BEEN CANCELLED", showcasing the entire collection in print form.
●Newspapers from LE LABO (left) and LOEWE (right). Image source: @LE LABO, @LOEWE
The nostalgia for print media isn't just a one - sided wish of brands. It stems from the capture of Generation Z's contradictory consumer emotions - in the era of precise marketing through algorithm - driven content, they long for unexpected encounters; amidst the overwhelming digital information, they seek the comfort of physical objects.
Today, the newspaper we're going to read together is from Pop Mart, one of the currently popular trendy collectible brands. They've created a semi - annual magazine called play/GROUND that seemingly has nothing to do with the products they sell. Creative director Vicson Guevara and editor - in - chief Greg Grigorian have deconstructed the most traditional medium in a very contemporary way.
Within a week of its publication, the magazine was sold out both on the online mini - program and in offline bookstores. Some netizens on Xiaohongshu even commented: "I've never drawn a blind box before. This is the first money I've spent on Pop Mart."
●Pop Mart's magazine play/GROUND, priced at 39.9 yuan
In this publication full of vintage charm, the aroma of ink and the texture of paper replace the plastic shells of trendy collectibles. As young people unfold this large - sized broadsheet newspaper in various corners of the city, they also experience the same joy as when they collect the hidden - edition LABUBU.
You can flip through it at will, fold it, cut it out, hang it on the wall, carry it with you, or shuffle the pages and enjoy it at your own pace.
These are some reading tips from Greg, and we've decided to follow his advice. So, the following content won't be in the normal layout order of the newspaper. We'll present our perspective on the first issue of play/GROUND according to our own interests and understanding.
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Fifty young people, fifty phones,
Fifty ways of life
●PAGE 14 - 15
Let's start with the most representative page. Fifty young people from around the world answered six questions, including "Name", "Location", "Phone model", "Three most frequently used apps", "Average daily phone usage time", and "Describe your phone in one sentence". The whole page is dominated by a dense collection of selfies with phones, creating a visually impactful image.
Those seemingly phone - related questions actually outline people's personalities and images. For example, Chia, who currently lives in Los Angeles, USA, thinks her phone is "cute, sexy, loves to have fun, and seeks excitement". It's hard not to see this as her self - evaluation of her life. People and their phones are like the real object and its reflection in a mirror, inseparable.
The definition of "the most representative" actually comes from Vicson. He believes this page fully embodies the theme of the first issue of play/GROUND, which is "social interaction". Just like social scenarios in daily life, the magazine also needs the participation and co - creation of different people to make readers feel a more vivid and rich experience.
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social to print
●PAGE 1
The editorial team's opening letter in the newspaper also uses the same photo - taking style.
In this page, the editors vividly compare the act of "still making printed materials in 2025" to "attending a video conference in a full evening dress". Yet, they still went ahead and did it.
Greg also introduced a new concept that the team brainstormed: social to print. He explained that although most of people's interactions now occur in the virtual world of social media, if we can transform these digital experiences into physical printed forms, turning those fleeting moments into tangible objects that can be touched, flipped through, and preserved, and then savor and think deeply about them, can we give these digital memories a more lasting and tangible existence?
So, at the end of this page, the editors tell readers: "It's okay if you accidentally spill coffee on it, but please don't try to scroll. We guarantee it won't work."
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A phone chat box that you can't scroll through
●PAGE 28 - 31
Under what circumstances would you print out the conversations from your phone's social apps? Probably when you cherish the chat records with your friends, family, or partner so much that you start to doubt the reliability of online storage.
play/GROUND presents the discussions about "algorithms and creation" among six content creators from different countries and fields in a group - chat box, which people instinctively want to scroll through when they see it. Those seemingly light - hearted and fragmented conversations actually describe their in - depth thinking and counter - attacks against the dilemmas they face in this algorithm - driven world.
Social media and news blogger Kieran Press - Reynolds shared an observation: "I think in the music industry, algorithms have obviously made songs shorter. Many songs are faster and more like internet memes, all optimized to attract listeners." Publishing and writing blogger Eleanor Stern chose to "fight fire with fire". She loves talking about publications on TikTok, believing it can attract people to the world of words.
But at the end of these four pages of the "non - scrollable phone chat box", the creators' conversations seem to point to the same conclusion: algorithms are not the enemy. "Expressing your true self" and "creating what the audience likes" are actually the same thing.
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You really can't scroll anymore...
●PAGE 32 - 33
Just like the printed chat box, the last special feature in the newspaper is an investigation and summary of the declining usage rate of dating apps and the increasing "loneliness syndrome" among young people. As the conclusion of the written content, play/GROUND seriously explores the operating mechanism of dating apps, the rise of new dating methods, and the decline of "romantic love" TV dramas. It even questions whether people must love specific individuals?
This makes people think of a current "old - fashioned" trend: many young people are posting marriage announcements in newspapers again. They call this form "vintage paper romance". Information on the internet can be deleted and modified at any time, but once a publication is issued, it's irreversible. The names printed in ink and the vows typeset in lead type may fade and turn yellow, but they are real.
Look, the questions in the newspaper find their answers in the newspaper itself.
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24 - hour internet - free challenge!
●PAGE 6 - 7
If you can't scroll, then stop. Try experiencing what it's like to be offline for 24 hours.
Challenge participant Tan Tanzi told Tide: "Not being able to use the internet means not being able to use your phone or computer. It doesn't feel good at all. You can hardly do anything. The only good thing is that you don't have to work either."
We also asked Vicson a question from the report on the "24 - hour internet - free challenge": "If you had to choose, would you rather be born in an era without the internet or now, and why?" He replied: "I was originally born in an era without the internet. If I had to choose again, I'd still choose this era. I'm actually quite anti - social - media. Even now, I still buy a large number of magazines and physical books every month. I've tried e - reading, but my eyes don't like that reading experience."
Vicson, who is "quite anti - social - media", was one of the earliest people in China to work on magazines. Compared with looking for materials online, he prefers to collect magazines offline, such as Avant Garde, Vogue, and Bazaar. These physical contents, which represent the creative peaks of different eras, were the original sources of inspiration for him when he first learned design.
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