How placing a rubber duck on a Jeep in Ontario became a huge global trend
Allison Parliament didn't expect her simple act of kindness, placing a rubber duck on someone's Jeep, to become a global phenomenon.
Now, the fascination with "ducking a Jeep" has gone from Ontario to places like Dubai and Egypt.
It all started with a bag of rubber ducks that Parliament bought in 2020 while on a trip to Bancroft, Ontario, to playfully "torture her partner."
At one point, while out, Parliament saw a Jeep with a lot of work put into it while hers was still stock, and she just wanted to say, "Nice Jeep."
She had no paper, but she had rubber ducks and a Sharpie.
"So I wrote it on the rubber duck and left it on the Jeep, and the guy caught me doing it."
They put it up on social media after being caught in the act "because he was laughing his ass off."
The lucky recipient of the first ducked Jeep encouraged her to keep the trend going, saying, "This is amazing, and it made me smile; it'll make other people smile."
Parliament figured it'd just be a trend around Bancroft with some people laughing at this small joke.
"Well, we hashtagged it #DuckDuckJeep, and we had 2000 followers in two hours."
They put it up on Facebook, and it went viral.
It's not only Jeep owners who have caught on to the craze; Jeep itself has been one of Parliament's and #DuckDuckJeep's most incredible supporters.
We also learned that it doesn't necessarily have to be a rubber duck, just any duck that isn't or wasn't once a living being.
Parliament, originally from Orillia, says that Jeep has used #DuckDuckJeep to launch the 392 Rubicon and other campaigns over the last few years. Last year, Jeep even loaned Parliament a Wrangler to roam around Ontario.
"I got probably 1,000 messages a day of people asking me about #DuckDuckJeep or thanking me for it, which is crazy."
Ducked Jeeps have been spotted in the wildest places too, and in her Jeep, she has 18 different countries represented, including Holland and China. She says the trend has spread to over 80 countries.
"I've seen ducks in Kosovo with our American military members."
One thing that underlines this whole quacky community is a positive spirit. So many have reached out to Parliament to share that their lives have been changed, creating new and special memories with loved ones, sometimes in dire situations, like with family members who are terminally ill.
"We are a family in the Jeep community, and we stand together."
And to quash any doubt about the fact that Parliament is the one who started the movement, the Mother Ducker, if you will, Jeep announced that she was the founder of this movement at an auto show back in April.
There's also an official Facebook group, and Parliament is fundraising to cover travel expenses.
Parliament's current Jeep has been well-used, and a dealer in Florida will set her up with a brand-new Jeep Rubicon. Parliament's current Jeep is nicknamed "Quack Attack," but her new ride will be nicknamed "The Duck Up."
"Since I'm the family duck up as my dad likes to tease me."
Allison Parliament
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