Devin Silva was at her local CVS in Washington buying a late night ice cream when she saw him.
Cookie was hanging on a shelf and, unbeknownst to Silva, she was about to make a sensation with the “ugly” gingerbread chain from toymaker Ty, which continues to sell nationwide.
After purchasing the plushie for a few dollars, she documented the creepy-looking plushie’s daily life in X – alternating between junk food and bedding and his behavior in her work.
Her posts unexpectedly went viral and caused the toy to sell out, earning Cookie the title of “2024’s most wanted stuffed toy”.
“I never imagined it would get this big,” Silva, 18, told The Post. “It’s so crazy.”
Cookie, who is part of Ty’s Beanie Belly Seasonal Collection and normally retails for $4.99, is decked out in a goofy smile, blue eyes, a red nose, multi-colored buttons and white embellishments made for to look like cream.
While she admittedly found the five-inch toy “ugly” at first – prompting a chorus of “ew” both out loud and in an online post – she changed her mind after her sister accused her of hurting her feelings. Cookies, she explained.
“I saw this guy and went ‘Ew ew ew ew ew e’ ugly and then I felt so bad I cried and bought it,” she wrote on X alongside a photo of Cookie.
She took Cookie home, sharing photos of the stuffed animal hanging out in bags of marshmallows, munching on Taco Bell and snuggling in bed, turning the gingerbread stuffed animal into an Elf on the Shelf of sorts .
“Once I saw that people loved Cookie so much, I thought everyone would enjoy seeing more of him,” Silva said. “I just posted what was going on in my life! Of course, with Cookie by my side.”
Cookie and Silva, who gained over 25,000 followers on X in a matter of days, became overnight internet celebrities as hordes of users flocked to local drugstores to find theirs.
New fans of the $4.99 ugly-cute plushie made Cookie sell out in a single day online, the brand announced at X this week. The company even gave Silva an online call-out “to show the Internet the beauty of Cookie.”
“Spent four hours searching for my daughter,” the rejected Redditor wrote on an online forum.
“Try CVSes, Circle Ks, Michaels, Barnes & Nobles, Party City, two Hallmarks, a candy store that had its Elf friend in place, and all the other Christmas beans.”
“I’ve been to about 10+ CVS, 4 Walgreens, and a JoAnn before I gave up and bought it on TY’s website,” said another despondent user.
Krystal Ssonko, 25, went to two different CVS locations in the Boston area before using to order the plush key online. However, she bought Cookie’s cousin Nutmeg, a larger gingerbread stuffed animal, in the meantime.
“I can’t buy holiday trinkets or stuffed animals,” Ssonko, who posted her hunt for Cookie on TikTok, told The Post, adding that she thought the doll was “cute.”
“I grew up with Beanie Babies, but this is not something I would buy.”
But Cookie was different. Inspired by the doll’s virality and the bag charm trend — after all, it can be attached to bags, keys and more — Ssonko was convinced she “needed Cookie.”
“I kind of went viral and wanted to be able to say, ‘I have my cookie,'” she said.
The cookie craze has also inspired memes, fan art and even an embroidery design by small business owner and artist Chantal Strasburger.
“The X community has warmly embraced Cookie as their new friend, and we couldn’t be more excited!” Ty Warner, CEO and owner of Ty Inc., said in a statement obtained by USA Today, expressing “gratitude” to Silva for creating a “vibrant community” that rallies around Cookie.
“It’s a joy to see such a diverse display of talent and holiday spirit,” Warner continued.
“We are grateful to everyone who has shared their creativity and love for Cookie. We hope this festive spirit continues, spreading Christmas cheer and joy far and wide!”
#Exclusive #ugly #Christmas #doll #wanted #stuffed #toy #year
Image Source : nypost.com