Blåhaj

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Blåhaj
TypeToy shark
CompanyIKEA
CountrySweden
MaterialsPolyester
FeaturesSoft toy
Official website

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.

Properties

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

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]

Blåhaj Media

References

  1. ↑ BLÅHAJ Soft toy, shark, 39 ¼" (in en-US). IKEA. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  2. ↑ BLÅHAJ Soft toy, baby shark, 21 ¾". IKEA. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
  3. ↑ Samson, Anna. A toy shark from IKEA has blown up on TikTok as creators say it provides them with a unique kind of comfort and community (in en-US). Insider (23 March 2022). Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  4. ↑ Yap, Mae Yen. Someone created a Twitter account of the IKEA shark going about life and it's adorable (in en-sg). Mashable SEA (20 January 2020). Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  5. ↑ Emma Taggart. People Around the World Are Obsessed With This Plush Shark from IKEA (in en). My Modern Met (26 October 2018). Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  6. ↑ Kayla Wong. People are rearranging IKEA Shark plushies to make them do human things (in en). mothership.sg (4 December 2019). Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Milner, Roz. How a Stuffed IKEA Shark Became a Trans Icon (in en-US). INTO (1 February 2022). Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Lean Jinghui. Social media users everywhere shookt at news of IKEA shark plushie being discontinued (in en). mothership.sg (6 October 2021). Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Melissa Teo. Is Blahaj the shark plushie really 'going extinct'? Ikea Singapore says otherwise (in en). AsiaOne (7 October 2021). Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  10. ↑ Teh, Cheryl. Ikea is discontinuing a blue shark stuffed animal – it sent Chinese social media into total meltdown (in en-US). Businessinsider (4 October 2021). Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  11. ↑ Mandy How. IKEA's shark plushie tragically flattened to demonstrate usefulness of vacuum bags (in en). mothership.sg (31 January 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... (in en). Twitter (27 September 2021). Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  13. ↑ Victor Stepanov. Russians Are Obsessed With These Big Plush Ikea Sharks (in en). BuzzFeed News (29 October 2018). Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  14. ↑ Wyllie, Ami. Wildly popular IKEA shark vanishes from shelves (in en). DevonLive (17 December 2021). Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  15. ↑ RUMPLING – 環保購物袋, 藍色/鯊魚 (in zh). IKEA 線上購物. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  16. ↑ Ang, Hui Yi. IKEA launches the new BLÅHAJ Shark Eco Bag! Extra large capacity and durable for only RM8.90! (in en-US). Leh Leo Radio News (18 October 2021). Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  17. ↑ Guy, Jack. Ikea is offering a tiny apartment in Tokyo for less than $1 per month. CNN (25 November 2021). Retrieved 20 August 2022.
  18. ↑ Amy Houston. Ad of the Day: Ikea’s Blåhaj shark comes to life to sell tiny apartments in Tokyo. The Drum.com (2021-11-29). Retrieved 2022-12-30.
  19. ↑ Ong-Wood, Ivy (11 August 2022). "Shop with the sharks". The Standard (Hong Kong). https://www.thestandard.com.hk/section-news/fc/11/244517/Shop-with-the-sharks. Retrieved 26 August 2022. 
  20. ↑ Chelvi, S. Tamarai. IKEA's cute shark bun nibbles at our hearts (in en-MY). The Sun (Malaysia) (13 June 2022). Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  21. ↑ Karen Lui. Ikea Taiwan selling adorable shark buns with black sesame filling at S$1.69 each (in en). Mothership (14 July 2021). Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  22. ↑ North, Nick. TLDR: @ikeacanada wants to give trans folks BLÅHAJ, tag and share! ..." (in en). Instagram (3 November 2022). Retrieved 2022-12-27.
  23. ↑ Nuckolls, Bethany. An Unlikely Community (in en-US). The Smart Set (20 January 2022). Retrieved 19 July 2022.

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