# My Name Is Lewis

> A shopper’s video turned a $180 talking pumpkin into a meme as Target sold out.

- Owner: Target
- Kind: Meme & format
- Sector: Retail
- Seed date: 2023-09-27
- Peak date: 2023-10-05
- Spread Score: 46 (Notable, provisional), v1.2
- Mechanics: Unscripted proof, Creator relay, Platform jump, Press loop, Sell-out loop

## Summary

A shopper filmed Lewis introducing himself in Target. Other TikTok users made recordings, edits, art and costumes; national coverage followed as the decoration sold out. Target promoted the fan activity, made an animated series and brought Lewis back the next year.

## Timeline

- 2023-09-27 — @imshannonduh (TikTok) — Shannon Murphy posted Lewis saying his name after hearing him in a Huntington Beach Target.
- 2023-09-29 — The FW (Open web) — The FW explained the Lewis joke and quoted shoppers asking about his backstory.
- 2023-09-30 — @notajackolantern (TikTok) — A fan posted a Lewis edit with Taylor Swift and SwiftTok hashtags.

The full timeline, metrics and sources are on the case page, or via the Pro API (https://howitspread.com/developers).

Canonical URL: https://howitspread.com/cases/my-name-is-lewis

Cite as: How It Spread (2026). “My Name Is Lewis.” Case HIS-00623. Spread Score v1.2: 46/100. Updated 2026-10-14. https://howitspread.com/id/HIS-00623