Rubber ducks never go out of fashion. We have all heard of the term "comfort food," but a rubber duck is definitely what I will refer to as a "comfort toy," Everyone is familiar with them it is more than likely that your childhood included one of these rubber-made ducks. Let me take you on a journey to explore the history of Rubber Ducks, and why you need promotional animal stress toys for your next event.

Where Rubber Ducks Came From

As history goes, rubber ducks first appeared during the 1850s. You see around that time, rubber as a raw material to create products began to become famous. Amongst the first uses of rubber was to create toy animals, of all the different toy animals, the humble duck was the first to swim away from the pack regarding popularity.

Weekly bathing for the church was a cultural norm, and the ducks were favourite to use to encourage children to dip their heads into the water. The first rubber ducks could not float (but you can chew on them).

Fast forward to 1933, Disney created some floating toys for the bathtub. We all know the characters, of course, Donald Duck, etc. An entrepreneur by the name of Peter Ganine wanted to create his line of toys, and by copying Disney's floating effort, he came up with the familiar yellow shape of a rubber duck that we are now so familiar with. Peter Ganine, also patented this shape.

How Did Promotional Branded Ducks Come Around?

As patents go, they all have an expiration date. Around 1962 the patent for the rubber duck shape expired. This opened up an opportunity for businesses like ours to stock rubber ducks, and offer them as products that are labeled with company brands and logos.

Marketing with Nostalgia

If you may be considering marketing with nostalgia, then you cannot go past rubber ducks. Consider getting some rubber ducks for your organisation today!

Trivia: Did you know that in 1992, a cargo ship that carried 29,000 ducks toppled over. All the ducks were cast out into the ocean. After floating for days and years, these ducks made their way to seaside suburbs all around USA and Hawaii. Scientists were able to use data on where the ducks washed up to learn more about how seasons and currents change in ocean water.

Conclusion

For parents, toys are an important part of a child’s development. Toys help to stimulate imagination and creativity in children, as well as teaching them foundational skills like cognitive thinking and gross/fine motor skills. One toy that is incredibly beneficial for kids, yet often overlooked by some parents, is the rubber duck. These cuddly little ducks serve much more purpose than just being a cute bath-time companion!

Inspiration from blog first seen on: http://mentalfloss.com/article/79740/wise-quacks-history-rubber-duck