The encounter at CVS
In early December, a shopper, Devin Silva, who uses they/them pronouns, ran out late one night for ice cream to a CVS store in Washington, D.C. While browsing, they noticed that a gingerbread man plushie was hanging from a shelf. Silva was first struck by how unusual he looked. Silva talked about it on social media:
“Saw this guy and said; Ew ew ew ew ew ew ugly and then felt so bad I cried and bought him.”
‘Cookie’ is born
The plushie, with a name tag named ‘Cookie’, was from Ty Inc.’s seasonal Beanie Belly collection. With bright blue eyes, a red gumdrop nose, a wide smile and icing-like white trim-very whimsical gingerbread man. Silva’s instant aversion had flipped and she bought the toy. She later shared that: “Some things to note: his name is Cookie on the tag.
“I actually did cry.”
Devin, who found Cookie in their local CVS, also added: “You have to believe me he was hanging on one of those peg stands and he looked so freakish it was scary.”
Viral sensation over social media
Silva had been posting about her experience and photos of Cookie on X, where she has more than 29,000 followers. Posts featuring Cookie lounging on marshmallow bags, eating Taco Bell and tucked in bed catapulted Cookie to fame.
“Once I saw people loved Cookie so much, I thought everybody would enjoy seeing more of him,” Silva said.
Public reaction: Divided opinions
The online community was divided because of Cookie. A few users found the plushie cute, while others were not that convinced.
One commenter exclaimed, “He is not ugly…. say sorry,” to which Silva responded with, “I apologized over and over when I started crying.”
A user even said, “Well sure he is ugly but at least he has got a home now.” Irrespective of people’s divided opinions, this plushie gained popularity in no time.
Sell-out success
Following the viral posts, demand for Cookie went through the roof as fans searched several stores and online sites to get the plushie. The keyring Cookie retails at $3.99 on the Ty website. Ty Inc. confirmed on X that Cookie was sold out online in just one day and thanked Silva for the popularity of the plushie: “Thank you to Devin for showing the internet the cuteness of Cookie.”
The allure of ‘Ugly-Cute’
Cookie’s popularity is a nod to an increasing love for all things ‘ugly-cute’ or unconventional beauty in seasonal merchandise. That is very much a function of people embracing imperfection and individual aesthetics, which really speaks to the consumer for unique and quirky items.
About Ty Inc.’s holiday collection
Cookie is part of Ty Inc.’s holiday lineup of holiday-themed plushies. Other items include ‘Nutmeg,’ a larger gingerbread plushie that sells for $5.99. These items have been very popular in quality and appeal to children and adults alike.
