Social media is buzzing with questions about Trumpy Bear, after ads for the quirky stuffed animal aired on Fox News. You can see the ad here:
Many people were wondering whether the ad could possibly be real; to some observers, it looked like a spoof. In fact, so many questions have been raised about the ad that Snopes fact-checked it. The result? Trumpy Bear is absolutely real.
Trumpy Bear Has a Blond Combover & Is Stuffed With an American Flag
Trumpy Bear looks a bit like, well, President Trump. He has blue eyes and long blondish hair, styled low across his forehead. He wears a red necktie and white cuffs and collar. You can also zip open his neck and pull out an “ultra cozy” American flag blanket. Trumpy Bear comes with a certificate of authenticity which confirms that you own an “authentic” Trumpy Bear. The manufacturer calls Trumpy Bear a “piece of history” and says that it is suitable as a gift for “all American holidays.”
Trumpy Bear is selling for $39.90, or two payments of $19.95. Manufacturers say the product is available only for a limited time; they say that, since quantities are limited, it’s recommended to order the bear soon to make sure that you get yours before they run out. Shipping will take up to two weeks; no tax is charged on the Trumpy Bear except in Texas. Customers should know that the Trumpy Bear producers will not refund “intentionally damaged” bears, according to a note on the website.
The Trump Bear ads first started airing last year, according to AdAge. In October 2017, a two-minute infomercial began airing on Animal Planet, Discovery, Grit TV and INSP. The ads confused viewers back in 2017 too, with plenty of people taking to social media to ask whether the product was real and who was behind it.
A Texas-based company called Exceptional Products, Inc. holds the copyright to Trumpy Bear. The company describes itself as “a direct response marketing company that specializes in creating nationally known brand names for new products by using infomercials, direct response television and other marketing methods. EPI is always looking for new products to make into household names. If you are looking to market your new patented idea, call or email us today. Your idea may be the next million dollar idea!”
Readers should note that Fox News reached out to Heavy to clarify one point: although the ad for Trumpy Bear ran on Fox News, Fox does not do business with Exceptional Products on a nation-wide basis. Dom Rossi, the senior vice president of eastern sales, said in a statement, “This was a local ad purchase with the cable operator. We do not do business with them nationally.”