28 Mountain View Ave, San Rafael
(415) 456–3452, info@celebriducks.com
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What do they offer?
CelebriDucks can be certain they’ve cornered the market on their product – turning people and characters into rubber ducks. Film, music, sports and historical figures have been given the CelebriDuck treatment. Entertainment Weekly voted the synthetic fowl as a top 100 gift idea in their annual holiday issue. Since word first spread, the company has produced over 200 different ducks, releasing each one in limited editions. President Barack Obama’s duck is a current hot buy, while cult figure Mr. T remains the top selling duck worldwide.
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The company has partnered with celebrities, estates and likeminded companies. Major sporting events frequently use CelebriDuck likenesses of featured athletes past and present for giveaway days, and a slew of Fortune 500 companies have contracted the business.
Each duck is sold in an elegantly designed package complete with a quotation fitting of the figure it is based on.
Who are they?
CelebriDucks was created by Craig Wolfe. After graduating from Hobart College with a degree in business and religion, he stumbled upon a store selling an original drawing of Mickey Mouse from one of Disney’s 1930s cartoon shorts. Wolfe was taken aback that such a product existed, let alone that it was available for anyone to purchase. This moment would be the catalyst for the creation of his first company, Name That Toon, which specialized in buying and selling vintage Disney animation drawings.
Eventually Wolfe expanded the focus of his company to include selling animation for Coca-Cola, and from there saw his business grow into the largest publisher of advertising artwork from television commercials in the country. When he grew dissatisfied with selling the art of others, Wolfe switched gears and began the CelebriDuck line.
He confessed switching from the success of Name That Toon to the uncertainty of CelebriDucks was scary, but Wolfe felt the concept was unique enough that, given time, it would definitely find its market. The ducks, which started as a “little fun side project" with Wolfe’s daughter Rebecca designing the initial line, had their big break when the NBA’s Philidelphia 76ers heard about the company and asked if they would make a duck of star player Allen Iverson for a stadium giveaway. A deluge of press followed, resulting in the vastly successful business Wolfe runs today.
How long have they been there?
CelebriDucks began in 1998.
Why are they in our Business Spotlight?
Craig Wolfe’s willingness to take the risks inherent in launching such a unique company should provide hope to future entrepreneurs that dedication and creativity can pave the way to a viable business. Wolfe cites his choice to build a company around his passions as one of the cornerstones of CelebriDucks’ success. And as for how a highly-nuanced product achieved such immense popularity?
“I went in a direction no one thought about,” he said.
To learn more about CelebriDucks, visit them online at http://www.celebriducks.com/.
