Wikipedia

Blåhaj

stuffed toy shark sold at IKEA

Blåhaj (stylized BLÅHAJ, Swedish pronunciation: [ˈbloːhaj], lit. 'blue shark'; also pronounced /ˈblɑːhɑːʒ/, /ˈblɑːhɑː/ or /ˈbloʊhaɪ/ in English) is a plush toy of a blue shark made and sold by the Swedish company IKEA. It has been used as an official mascot in some countries.

Blåhaj
TypeToy shark
CompanyIKEA
CountrySweden
MaterialsPolyester
FeaturesSoft toy
Official website

Properties

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There are 100 cm (39 in) and 55 cm (22 in) versions. It is stuffed with recycled polyester. It can be machine-washed at 40 °C (104 °F).[1][2]

Culture

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In 2018, Blåhaj became a popular internet meme[3][4][5] when social media users posted humorous photos of it in their homes.[6] It became popular with LGBT (particularly transgender) individuals due to its similar colors to the transgender flag.[7] It was thought IKEA acknowledged this by using it in an series of advertisements supporting the 2021 Swiss same-sex marriage referendum.[7]

In September 2021, when customers asked about the toy, it was announced to be no longer be sold in the United Kingdom and Ireland from April 2022 due to supply issues, which did not happen. "Blåhaj" trended on social media for several days, as fans said it was becoming "extinct".[8][9][10] A similar response happened when it was used to demonstrate vacuum bags in some stores in Hong Kong.[11] However, it was announced it would still be sold in the United States.[8][9][12] In early 2022, Blåhaj plushes started to be made in Indonesia.[source?]

Blåhaj is popular in some countries.[13][14] Blåhaj shopping bags are sold in Taiwan and Malaysia.[15][16] Blåhaj has also been used in advertisements, such as for tiny apartments in Japan (as a real estate agent)[17][18] and Hong Kong's Tsim Sha Tsui branch, which was nicknamed "Tsim Shark Tsui".[19] Colored Blåhaj-shaped red bean and sesame filled buns were sold for a limited time in Malaysia and Taiwan respectively.[20][21]

In November 2022, IKEA Canada gave transgender individuals a transgender flag-colored Blåhaj with their name embroidered on its fin.[22]

It was once seen briefly in the Marvel Studios television series Hawkeye.[23]

References

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  1. ↑ "BLÅHAJ Soft toy, shark, 39 ¼"". IKEA. Archived from the original on 18 July 2022. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  2. ↑ "BLÅHAJ Soft toy, baby shark, 21 ¾"". IKEA. Archived from the original on 3 September 2022. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
  3. ↑ 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.
  4. ↑ 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.
  5. ↑ 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.
  6. ↑ 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.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 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.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 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.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 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.
  10. ↑ 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.
  11. ↑ 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.
  12. ↑ "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.
  13. ↑ 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.
  14. ↑ 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.
  15. ↑ "RUMPLING – 環保購物袋, 藍色/鯊魚". IKEA 線上購物 (in Chinese). Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  16. ↑ 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.
  17. ↑ 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.
  18. ↑ 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.
  19. ↑ Ong-Wood, Ivy (11 August 2022). "Shop with the sharks". The Standard (Hong Kong). Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  20. ↑ Chelvi, S. Tamarai (13 June 2022). "IKEA's cute shark bun nibbles at our hearts". The Sun. Archived from the original on 15 June 2022. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  21. ↑ Karen Lui (14 July 2021). "Ikea Taiwan selling adorable shark buns with black sesame filling at S$1.69 each". Mothership. Archived from the original on 19 July 2022. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  22. ↑ North, Nick (3 November 2022). "TLDR: @ikeacanada wants to give trans folks BLÅHAJ, tag and share! ..."". Instagram. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
  23. ↑ Nuckolls, Bethany (20 January 2022). "An Unlikely Community". The Smart Set. Archived from the original on 19 July 2022. Retrieved 19 July 2022.

Other websites

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