If you look close enough and deep enough, sometimes you’ll find that great things can emerge from horrible events.
Take Allison Parliament’s situation, for example.
During the recent pandemic, Allison was traveling alone from the United States to Canada to visit family. At the time, the number of Covid cases in the States far surpassed those in Canada, so many people in that country held disdain for anyone traveling across the border.
When Allison pulled into a rest stop, a Canadian citizen spotted her U.S. license plate, then grabbed her and violently pushed her into the Jeep she was driving. He then verbally accosted her, telling her she wasn’t welcome in Canada (which was ironic since she had dual citizenship).
The attack emotionally shook Allison, leaving her unable to exit her home.
A few weeks later, a friend finally got her to venture out. On their excursion, they stopped by a quaint general store where bags of yellow rubber ducks were being sold. She wasn’t sure why she needed them; she only knew she had to buy them.
When she exited the store, she started admiring a big Jeep in the parking lot. In a moment of inspiration, she took a pen and wrote, “Nice Jeep – Have a great day!” on one of the rubber ducks and placed it on the hood. According to Allison, when the driver came out and found the duck, he cracked up laughing and left with the biggest smile on his face.
The hashtags “#DuckDuckJeep” and “#DuckingJeeps” were born a few hours later.
Allison put the picture of that first Jeep “ducking” on Instagram and by the same time the next day, she had 2000 followers. Motivated by the interest, she then created a Facebook group called “Official Ducking Jeeps.” Within a month, the group had 10,000 followers. Today the site boasts nearly 77,000 members across more than 20 countries.
Jeep enthusiasts have fully embraced the “ducking” concept,
and so have Jeep’s corporate offices. The car company now fully endorses Jeep ducking and has used it on multiple occasions to promote its brand.
I knew nothing about Jeep ducking until this past weekend when my neighbors (who happen to own a Jeep) explained the odd practice while we were having cocktails. They said that earlier in the day, a Jeep driver pulled up next to them at a stoplight, rolled down their window, and handed them a rubber duck dressed as a fireman.
I inquired why anyone would hand a stranger a rubber duck in traffic. That was when they enlightened me to this previously unknown world. They even googled “Jeep Ducking” just to prove how prevalent the practice is.
I’ve worked in marketing throughout my entire career so this kind of organic phenomenon both intrigued and inspired me. I went home that night and jumped on Amazon and within a few minutes realized that I could buy dozens of bulk rubber ducks in an endless array of manifestations. There are zebra ducks, Minecraft ducks, Star Wars ducks, and even Donald Trump ducks.
For the first time in my life, I wished I owned a Jeep (that’s where the genius organic nature of this activity comes into play).
So, while I cannot partake in this unique activity, I decided that I would enhance my neighbor’s experience by purchasing a variety pack of 25 holiday-themed rubber ducks. I then shipped them ‘next-day’ to their house.
I texted them once I received confirmation that the package was delivered, and in a cryptic message, told them that their front door had been “ducked for the holidays.” Needless to say, they were elated with the surprise and promised to spread the ducks liberally throughout the Christmas break.
This week’s feature, “The Holdovers,” is also set during Christmas break, except in this case, it’s 1971 at an elite all-boys’ boarding school in New England.
Reuniting “Sideways” director, Alexander Payne, and Oscar-nominated actor, Paul Giamatti, “The Holdovers” is a character study in what’s lurking beneath the surface of someone’s angst. We all have demons that manifest in our lives as quirky behaviors, and it’s easy to alienate someone because of this. This film gets under the surface and tries to find the humanity that’s being hidden.
Check this one out if you love great acting combined with a solid screenplay. There’s a meditative flow to this film that some may find draggy, but the payoff is certainly rewarding.
A veiled “B” for “The Holdovers,” now playing in theaters everywhere.
Got a question or comment for Dom? You can email him at [email protected].
