Just ducky: Grandpa Joe’s reveals it’s behind mysterious Canonsburg ducks
In spectacular fashion, the culprit behind the Canonsburg rubber ducks has revealed itself: Grandpa Joe’s Candy Shop.
Wednesday night into Thursday, 14-foot-tall inflatable rubber ducks sprung up on the rooftops of businesses along Pike Street in what Grandpa Joe’s owner Christopher J. Beers called the “grand finale” of a flurry of duck-related activity.
“So I had a little bit of a guerrilla marketing idea here where I really wanted to just create a surprise and a buzz throughout the town of Canonsburg,” Beers said in his candy store on Thursday.
The stunt began last Monday, when Grandpa Joe’s employees placed 2,000 small ducks all along Pike Street. A couple days later, there were 2,000 larger ducks, which were followed by 600 even bigger ducks.
Beers said he had the idea more than a year ago, and decided to finally put it into action.
“That’s the way my brain works … Here we are. It all came to life because I have an amazing team, and some really good, supportive people,” Beers said.
Grandpa Joe’s managed to place the ducks, mostly, in secrecy, creating a sense of mystery in the borough for the nearly two-week campaign.
Canonsburg Mayor David Rhome suggested that he was in on the secret before Beers went to work.
“I’ve always said that Canonsburg is a great place to live, work and play,” Rhome said. “This was a lot of play, but it brought a lot of smiles with it too.”
Beers said he did get permission from the businesses and property owners before he started inflating giant ducks on their rooftops at about 11 p.m. Wednesday night.
One of those property owners was Andrew Andronas, who will soon be opening the Midtown Market at 48 W. Pike St.
“When (Beers) called with an idea, of course it was, ‘Dude, absolutely. Love it. Whatever you need. We’ll literally climb rooftops in the middle of the night to make it happen.’ Which we do,” Andronas said.
The ducks have been warmly received in Canonsburg. Businesses have joined in on the fun, such as Chicco Baccello, offering a Butterscotch Quackaccino topped with a marshmallow Peep.
There was no shortage of duck-related products at Grandpa Joe’s on Thursday, either. Right near the entrance were traditional rubber ducks, and duck-shaped pool floats for both humans and beverage coolers.
Beers admits the ducks were an “expensive publicity stunt,” but said it had brought a positive energy to Canonsburg and hopes it encourages people to come patronize the community’s business district.
“I am just so appreciative. When we did the ducking the very first time, people started pointing their fingers at Grandpa Joe’s. I have worked my tail off to create a brand and an experience that is unlike anybody else,” Beers said. “Canonsburg is my home. This is where I am raising my family, and to give back in this manner, I owe it to Canonsburg. Because Canonsburg has been so good to us. So I’m just extremely grateful for all of the loyal support that we have out there.”