Blåhaj

Toy shark produced by IKEA; internet meme

Blåhaj
Small and large variants of Blåhaj, displayed from the bottom (above) and side (below)
TypeToy shark
CompanyIKEA
CountrySweden
MaterialsPolyester
FeaturesSoft toy
Official website

Blåhaj (stylized BLÅHAJ, Swedish pronunciation: [ˈbloːhaj], lit. 'blue shark'; colloquially anglicised as /ˈblɑːhɑːʒ/, /ˈblɑːhɑː/ or /ˈbloʊhaɪ/) is a plush toy manufactured and sold by the Swedish company IKEA. Modeled after a blue shark and made of recycled polyester, the toy has gained prominence on social media as a popular internet meme, especially in the transgender community,[1] and has also been used as a mascot by IKEA in some regions.

Physical properties

Blåhaj is a 1-metre-long (39+1⁄4 in) stuffed toy resembling a blue shark and stuffed with recycled polyester. It can be machine-washed at 40°C (104°F).[2]

A smaller, 55-centimetre-long (21+3⁄4 in) variant of the Blåhaj is also available.[3]

Blåhaj and other IKEA plush toys have embroidered eyes, instead of commonly used plastic eyes, due to safety concerns such as choking hazards.[1][4]

Production and distribution

Blåhaj has been available from IKEA since at least 2010, previously being known as "klappar haj" (stylized KLAPPAR HAJ, Swedish pronunciation: [ˈklapparːhaj], lit. 'petting shark') and in grey instead of blue.[5] By 2012, IKEA had switched to using blue fabric,[6] but maintained the klappar haj name until later in the product's life.

In September 2021, Twitter accounts representing IKEA in Ireland and in Singapore, in response to customers enquiring about the toy, claimed that Blåhaj would be discontinued in April 2022.[7] Sources later confirmed that it had been out of stock or delisted from IKEA's stores in China, Taiwan, and Singapore.[8] However, IKEA's USA Twitter account later stated that the toy would remain available for sale in the United States.[9][7][10] Later, IKEA's Media Relations team clarified that the plush would not be discontinued, but online shop and internal store listings in several countries were simply reflecting a supply chain issue.[11] In early 2022, new Blåhaj plushes were found to have been made in Indonesia, indicating that they had switched suppliers during that period.[citation needed]

As a cultural phenomenon

The transgender pride flag by Monica Helms, which has similar colors to the Blåhaj

In 2018, Blåhaj grew to prominence as an Internet meme,[12][13][14] with social media users posting humorous photos of it in their homes.[15] Around this time, Blåhaj began to be associated with the LGBT and particularly transgender communities. IKEA was seen as acknowledging this phenomenon (despite not explicitly mentioning it) when the company ran a series of ads in support of the 2021 Swiss same-sex marriage referendum featuring the toy.[1]

The toy has continued to inspire memes and social media posts on Instagram, Twitter, Reddit, and TikTok,[12][16] and is a popular product in numerous territories.[17][18] Blåhaj also made a brief appearance in the Marvel Studios-produced television series Hawkeye.[16]

In response to the announcement that the sale of Blåhaj would be discontinued in certain regions, the term "Blåhaj" trended as a topic on social media for several days as fans of the toy claimed it was becoming "extinct".[9][7][8] A similar social media response was elicited when some IKEA stores in Hong Kong used the toy in a display demonstrating the functionality of vacuum bags.[19]

In response to the toy's popularity, IKEA has produced a line of Blåhaj shopping bags which are sold at its stores in some regions, including Taiwan and Malaysia.[20][21] IKEA has also used Blåhaj in marketing material; IKEA Japan used the toy as a mascot in a marketing campaign for tiny apartments sold by IKEA in the region. In the campaign, Blåhaj plays a real estate agent who envisions a tiny apartment.[22][23] IKEA of Malaysia and Taiwan sold red-bean and sesame filled buns resembling Blåhaj.[24][25] IKEA Hong Kong featured Blåhaj as part of an advertising campaign for its Tsim Sha Tsui branch, punning the location as "Tsim Shark Tsui".[26]

In November 2022, IKEA Canada hosted a giveaway offering transgender people a special edition Blåhaj in the colors of a transgender pride flag, with their name embroidered on their fin.[27] One of these was gifted to a sexual health centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia.[28]

See also

  • Costco bear, a stuffed bear sold by a big box retailer that has attained a similar level of pop culture status

References

  1. ^ a b c Milner, Roz (1 February 2022). "How a Stuffed IKEA Shark Became a Trans Icon". INTO. Archived from the original on 2 February 2022. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  2. ^ "BLÅHAJ Soft toy, shark, 39 ¼"". IKEA. Archived from the original on 18 July 2022. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  3. ^ "BLÅHAJ Soft toy, baby shark, 21 ¾"". IKEA. Archived from the original on 3 September 2022. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
  4. ^ "Choking hazard prompts recall of stuffed animals". WPRI.com. 17 May 2017. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
  5. ^ "Archived: "IKEA - KLAPPAR HAJ Soft toy"". Internet Archive. 17 September 2010. Archived from the original on 17 September 2010. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  6. ^ "Archived: "KLAPPAR HAJ Soft toy - IKEA"". Internet Archive. Archived from the original on 31 October 2012. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  7. ^ a b c Melissa Teo (7 October 2021). "Is Blahaj the shark plushie really 'going extinct'? Ikea Singapore says otherwise". AsiaOne. Archived from the original on 3 July 2022. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  8. ^ a b Teh, Cheryl (4 October 2021). "Ikea is discontinuing a blue shark stuffed animal – it sent Chinese social media into total meltdown". Businessinsider. Archived from the original on 31 July 2022. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  9. ^ a b Lean Jinghui (6 October 2021). "Social media users everywhere shookt at news of IKEA shark plushie being discontinued". mothership.sg. Archived from the original on 18 July 2022. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  10. ^ "Hi Melody! Thanks for reaching out. We appreciate your interest in our BLÅHAJ shark soft toy! IKEA USA doesn't have current plans to discontinue this product..." Twitter. 27 September 2021. Archived from the original on 20 July 2022. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  11. ^ King, Maya. "Maya King on Twitter: "NEW: IKEA Global Press Officer Diana Lavrenova has stated, quote, that there are "no plans to discontinue [BLÅHAJ] at any market so far", implying that the Europeans were simply, uh, confused and/or misled. I have asked for further clarification."". Twitter. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  12. ^ a b Samson, Anna (23 March 2022). "A toy shark from IKEA has blown up on TikTok as creators say it provides them with a unique kind of comfort and community". Insider. Archived from the original on 10 August 2022. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  13. ^ Yap, Mae Yen (20 January 2020). "Someone created a Twitter account of the IKEA shark going about life and it's adorable". Mashable SEA. Archived from the original on 30 October 2021. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  14. ^ Emma Taggart (26 October 2018). "People Around the World Are Obsessed With This Plush Shark from IKEA". My Modern Met. Archived from the original on 19 July 2022. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  15. ^ Kayla Wong (4 December 2019). "People are rearranging IKEA Shark plushies to make them do human things". mothership.sg. Archived from the original on 18 July 2022. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  16. ^ a b Nuckolls, Bethany (20 January 2022). "An Unlikely Community". The Smart Set. Archived from the original on 19 July 2022. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  17. ^ Victor Stepanov; Rachael Krishna (29 October 2018). "Russians Are Obsessed With These Big Plush Ikea Sharks". BuzzFeed News. Archived from the original on 18 July 2022. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  18. ^ Wyllie, Ami (17 December 2021). "Wildly popular IKEA shark vanishes from shelves". DevonLive. Archived from the original on 18 July 2022. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  19. ^ Mandy How (31 January 2022). "IKEA's shark plushie tragically flattened to demonstrate usefulness of vacuum bags". mothership.sg. Archived from the original on 19 July 2022. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  20. ^ "RUMPLING – 環保購物袋, 藍色/鯊魚". IKEA 線上購物 (in Chinese). Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  21. ^ Ang, Hui Yi (18 October 2021). "IKEA launches the new BLÅHAJ Shark Eco Bag! Extra large capacity and durable for only RM8.90!". Leh Leo Radio News. Archived from the original on 10 August 2022. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  22. ^ Guy, Jack; Ogura, Junka (25 November 2021). "Ikea is offering a tiny apartment in Tokyo for less than $1 per month". CNN. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
  23. ^ Amy Houston (29 November 2021). "Ad of the Day: Ikea's Blåhaj shark comes to life to sell tiny apartments in Tokyo". The Drum.com. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  24. ^ Karen Lui (14 July 2021). "Ikea Taiwan selling adorable shark buns with black sesame filling at S$1.69 each". mothership.sg. Archived from the original on 19 July 2022. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  25. ^ Chelvi, S. Tamarai (13 June 2022). "IKEA's cute shark bun nibbles at our hearts". thesundaily.my. Archived from the original on 15 June 2022. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  26. ^ Ong-Wood, Ivy (11 August 2022). "Shop with the sharks". The Standard (Hong Kong). Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  27. ^ North, Nick (3 November 2022). "TLDR: @ikeacanada wants to give trans folks BLÅHAJ, tag and share! ..."". Instagram. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
  28. ^ Glassman, Julia (18 January 2023). "IKEA Canada Releases Blåhaj Shark in Trans Colors". The Mary Sue. Retrieved 19 January 2023.


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