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$15M Per Year Selling Rubber Chickens š£
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Finlay Williams
August 22, 2024
2 minute wacky businesses, you can tell your buddies about š§
Archie McPhee didnāt set out to create a rubber chicken empire, but somehow, theyāve done just that. This Seattle-based company has turned the humble rubber chicken into an icon, an item that 70% of Americans have held at some point in their life. Theyāve sold millions of them, in all shapes and sizes, and made a rubber chicken fortune.
Source: Google Trends
Rubber Chickens š§
Archie McPheeās rubber chickens have been sold in the millions, reaching customers across the globe. Theyāve made their way into the hands of celebrities, appeared in movies, and have even been part of scientific experiments. The sheer spread and impact of this simple product is a testament to its universal appealāthereās hardly a corner of the world that the floppy, yellow icon hasnāt touched.
But hereās where Archie McPhee gets it right: they didnāt just sell a product; they sold a phenomenon. The rubber chicken became their mascot, their brandās voice. They leaned into the absurdity, creating an entire line of chicken-themed merchandise, from chicken handbags to chicken hats.
What are the nuggets? š
š„ Origin Story: Mark Pahlow began selling "quirky and unusual items" in the 1970s through a mail-order business named Accoutrements which was based in Los Angeles. The company opened their first retail outlet in the Fremont neighbourhood of Seattle in July 1983. The rubber chicken wasnāt an original Archie McPhee creation, but they certainly popularised it. Pahlow, with his knack for spotting the hilarious in the mundane, saw the potential in the rubber chicken early on. He didnāt invent itābut he certainly perfected it.
š„ Pivotal Moment: The internet launched this company into success, as for all old-school businesses. Archie McPheeās rubber chickens became a viral sensation in the late 2000s. āThe internet has allowed our tentacles of weirdness to reach across the country and worldā, Pahlow said.
š„ Collaborations and Partnerships: Archie McPhee has partnered with other brands and artists to create exclusive versions of the rubber chicken. These collaborations have included everything from punk rock-themed chickens to artist-designed collectable versions.
š„ Funding: All bootstrapped. They didnāt need VC cash because, well, rubber chickens donāt cost much to make, and they sell like crazy. They reinvested the cash into scaling their operations, which kept them nimble and profitable.
š„ The Horse Head Mask: Another iconic product, the horse head mask, is given special attention in their book āWho Would Buy This?ā. Pahlow recounts how it started as a niche item and then unexpectedly became a viral sensation. Itās another example of how Archie McPhee has an uncanny ability to predict (or create) viral products.
š„ Awesome Play: They have a damn museum. The Rubber Chicken Museum is a playful homage to the iconic gag gift. It features rare, vintage models and custom-designed chickens. The museum sees anywhere from 50,000-70,000 visitors a year!
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