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Library/Meme & format/IKEA Monkey
Grade B24 sourcesHIS-01634

IKEA Monkey

Meme & format · 2012 · Notable

48Editable slideCertificate

Photos of a coat-wearing monkey at IKEA prompted over 2,300 hashtag tweets in a day.

Lisa Lin

@dzd_lisa · Dec 9, 2012

Anyone lose their monkey at Ikea? instagr.am/p/TByJK-SsJt/

505
Original · Lisa Lin (@dzd_lisa)

Bronwyn Iler Page

@broniewyn · Dec 9, 2012

Umm saw a monkey in the #ikea parking lot. http://t.co/ZFJdIlQl

7.2K55
Post · @broniewyn on X

Matt Elliott

@GraphicMatt · Dec 9, 2012

Well-dressed monkey follows up IKEA trip with visit to top of Toronto landmark. http://t.co/xaoK0LKC

52
Post · @GraphicMatt on X
Clip · CNN on YouTube
IKEA Monkey
Wikipedia (non-free, fair use)
Umm saw a monkey in the #ikea parking lot. http://t.co/ZFJdIlQl
@broniewyn on X
Eddie Farrell's illustrated Darwin poster, published by the artist's Splashmania shop.
Eddie Farrell / Splashmania
Lost monkey roams Ikea
CNN on YouTube

Spread Score

How it works
ReachNo data yetContagionNo data yetBreadth60Velocity65Longevity1348

Numbers

#IkeaMonkey tweets on December 10 (Topsy, lower bound)
2.3K
As of Dec 10, 2012 · X · CBS News / Associated Press
Seed to milestone
1 day
Dec 9 ’12 to Dec 10 ’12
Platforms
7
Started on X
Origin
Organic
Culture (no sector)

Mechanics

  • Real-world spectaclePrimary
  • Response chain
  • Platform jump
  • Press loop
  • Controversy

How it spread

Trace the origin

Shoppers posted photos of Darwin at a Toronto IKEA, followed by parodies, Reddit edits and TV reports. The December 10 tweet count marks an initial milestone. A custody dispute, merchandise and a game kept the story in circulation.

Documented milestone; not a measured attention peak.

Google searchesJul ’12NovJan ’13AprSepFeb ’14Nov ’15Aug ’17May ’19Feb ’21Nov ’22MilestoneXPressRedditTVFacebookRetailOpen web
XPressRedditTVFacebookRetailOpen web

13 more events on this chart

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Timeline (16)

  1. December 2012

    Lisa Lin (@dzd_lisa) / Bronwyn Iler Page (@broniewyn) seed · Dec 9 ’12

    Lin tweeted her Instagram photo of Darwin; Page posted a separate photograph later that day.[1][2]

    Open the first post ↗

  2. The Globe and Mail press · Dec 9 ’12

    The Globe and Mail covered the sighting and the Twitter parody accounts.[3]

  3. toucher, go4 and eppemsk platform jump · Dec 10 ’12

    Image edits reached Reddit after Elliott's landmark Photoshop on Twitter.[4][5][6]

  1. milestone · Dec 10 ’12

  2. afterlife · Dec 10 ’12

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Why it worked

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Origin
Organic
Sector
Culture (no sector)
Region
CA
#IkeaMonkey tweets on December 10 (Topsy, lower bound)
2.3K
As of Dec 10, 2012 · X · CBS News / Associated Press
Evidence
Grade B

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New cases, every week

How the next thing spread, the week it does.