(WXIN) – Nerf’s first-ever official mascot is leaving the internet screaming with joy. Or maybe just screaming.
On Friday, the creative minds at Nerf unveiled Murph, a mascot meant to embody the “playful spirit” of the brand’s loyal customers. And how did these minds choose to convey this message? By building Murph out of the only logical material they could think of: a bunch of Nerf darts.
That’s right. Murph is a sentient pile of Nerf darts who loves to play and socialize, largely while pantsless.
“The launch of Murph is a testament to the success of Hasbro’s Brand Blueprint strategy and turning Nerf into the social, active play brand it is seen as today,” said Hasbro exec Adam Kleinman in a press release. “We are thrilled to introduce Murph to fans, a mascot that represents the playful spirit that lives inside us all and is unleashed through NERF.”
As one can imagine from the images above, the internet had a lot to say about the new Nerf mascot.
Murph is officially described as “by far the most fun, playful and social member of the NERF team,” but some Twitter users found him less “fun” and more “run for your life.”
“If you see this running towards you, run the other way. Fast,” wrote one Twitter user.
“Hasbro has unleashed a new eldritch horror upon the world,” another joked.
Others found Nerf’s newest catchphrase — “Unleash the play in you” — to be eerily foreboding.
“No, no, Murph is not hunting you for sport and your delicious human meat, he is merely trying to unleash the play in you,” one user wrote.
Still, there were plenty that were more welcoming to Murph.
“He’s perfect and my new best friend,” said one user on Twitter.
“I love it. Between this and Gritty, keep giving me mascots inspired by pure eldritch madness please,” another said, referencing the bug-eyed mascot of the Philadelphia Flyers.
Love him or fear him, Murph will soon become unavoidable, at least for Nerf fans.
In addition to being featured on Nerf’s official TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube channels, Murph will soon appear “across all NERF touchpoints,” with additional plans for pop-up appearances at retail locations and during “surprise-and-delight moments,” whatever those may be.
It’s unclear if Murph is available for your child’s upcoming birthday party.