The act of placing a rubber duck on someone’s Jeep is called Jeep “ducking” or sometimes even “Duck Duck Jeep,” and it all started with one person’s random act of kindness. Allison Parliament of Ontario, Canada perched a small yellow duck on a Jeep Wrangler that looked just like hers, wanting to bring herself a small bit of joy after a difficult encounter earlier in her day, and with that small gesture, she unknowingly started a duck revolution in the Jeep enthusiast community.
Now, three years after that first duck was placed in 2020, Jeep Wrangler owners in the US, Canada, and nearly 30 other countries around the world, sometimes carry stashes of little rubber ducks with them, and every time they see a fellow Wrangler-owner out in the wild, they put a duck on it! The game of Duck Duck Jeep has traveled far beyond that first yellow duck in Ontario and has become a worldwide phenomenon, spreading like wildfire over social media.
And although it has become incredibly popular with many Jeep owners, the message remains the same: ducking someone’s Jeep is all about kindness, fellowship, and recognition. It’s all about putting a smile on someone’s face, and potentially brightening their day. How could you not smile upon finding a little rubber duck sitting somewhere on your car after grocery shopping or running errands?
So, at a recent tradeshow this past November, Meyer decided to get in on the ducking fun! Meyer carries a line of plows and spreaders compatible with Jeeps, geared both towards homeowners and more commercial applications, and would be showing those off at the 2023 SEMA show in Las Vegas, Nevada. Instead of the usual giveaways, like a pen or hat, Meyer went a different direction and brought 200 yellow rubber ducks instead, all outfitted with “You’ve Been Ducked” Meyer tags.
The Jeep owners attending the show loved the ducks, and all were happily adopted that first day of the show. “We could have brought 1,000 ducks they would have all been gone,” said one of the attending Meyer salespeople. “People went crazy over them.”
Meyer was happy to help maintain a trend all about kindness and bringing smiles to a fun-loving community. So next time you see a Jeep Wrangler with a dashboard full of rubber ducks, smile! After all, that’s what they’re there for.
