Nerf has entered a new and polarizing chapter.
On Friday, the popular toy companyâmostly known for its selection of foam-dart blastersâintroduced the world to its first-ever mascot, Murph. According to AdWeek, the faceless anthropomorphic character is made entirely out of foam darts, and is described as âa playful spirit and gifted athleteâ that uses they, their, them pronouns.
âWe wanted to introduce a mascot that represents this ageless, unbridled fun that lives in all of us and creates a physical embodiment of that feeling you get when you play with Nerf,â said Adam Kleinman, global VP of Nerfâs parent company Hasbro. âNerf recognizes that while screens are great, there remains a need for kids, and their parents, to get out, get active and make memories.â
Murph is part of the companyâs âUnleash the Play in Youâ marketing campaign, and will appear in stores, ads, and social media content later this month. However, the mascot didnât receive a warm welcome from consumers, many of whom called the character ânightmarish,â âterrifying,â and down right creepy.
You can read some of the reactions below.
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