Itâs a fun trend that Calgary Stampede midway vendors certainly arenât wrinkling their noses at this year.
A stuffed toy modelled after the popular âsmiling pooâ emoji has taken the midway park by storm, much to the surprise of vendors.
The stuffed toys, which also come in the form of a hat, are a popular prize at the Calgary stampede this year.
âYou can use them as pillows,â said one young âpooâ prize winner.
Market research helps organizers decide which prizes to choose. Stampedeâs midway game company was skeptical at first, but ended up having to order more. When it comes to prizes, vendors say, when given a choice, customers almost always choose the poo.
âThe poo caught us by surprise,â said Tony Cassata, operations manager for Bobâs Space Racer. âI didnât order enough but I had to go back and get a shipment brought up here quickly, so weâre in good shape for the rest of the Stampede.â
Now, organizers say 65 per cent of the prizes this year are modelled after the smiling poo emoji.
It shouldnât be a huge surprise in Canada.
Last year, a report by SwiftKey showed Canadians topped the world in the use of the
The âpooâ emoji is so popular, partway through Stampede some midway games have also been altered to incorporate the character.
With a report by CTV Calgaryâs Alesia Fieldberg