You might have seen a Subaru with a tiny cow figure parked on the dashboard or chilling on the grille and wondered if the owner is a cow connoisseur. Possible, but it’s likely even more wholesome than that — you may have just witnessed Moo Moo Subaru. It’s a community-driven trend where Subaru owners or fans leave a little rubber cow and a note on Subaru cars they come across, to show their appreciation. It’s more than a little bit like Jeep Ducks, but slightly weirder.
Moo Moo Subaru got started in 2023 by a Subaru Crosstrek owner named Staci Huckins. Staci liked the Jeep Duck concept and initially thought about placing a rubber duck on fellow Subaru cars, but was goaded by her Jeep owner friend to try another mascot. Staci decided on the cow when she learned that Subaru logo represented a part of the Taurus constellation, since Subaru is the Japanese word for the Pleiades star cluster in Taurus constellation. The astrological symbol for Taurus is a bull, hence the inspiration for the bovine mascot.
Another driving inspiration was the name Subaru, which rhymes with moo. Thus, Staci created Moo Moo Subaru, a movement with a bovine twist. Today thousands of Subaru owners and fans across America participate in this nationwide game.
A little bit like Jeep ducks
Jeep Duck and Moo Moo Subaru have a few things in common. The Jeep Duck movement was initiated in 2020 in Ontario, Canada, by a Jeep enthusiast named Allison Parliament when she placed a little yellow rubber duck on a Jeep Wrangler similar to hers in a parking lot. This act of placing a rubber duck on another person’s Jeep is called Jeep ducking. The core concept between the Jeep Ducks and Moo Moo Subaru is the same.
If you spot a Jeep or Subaru you admire, leave a gift (rubber duck or cow) and a note of admiration, often with a catchy phrase like “You’ve been ducked” or “A quack’n good ride”. For Subaru, it’s “You have been Moo’d” or “Welcome to the Mooooovement”.
Both trends are not brand-sponsored but community-driven. Both have grown exponentially since then and are seen as a form of community building. In fact, the Jeep Duck tradition has migrated overseas and is even acknowledged by Jeep as a tradition.
But a little bit weirder
The Moo Moo Subaru movement goes beyond placing rubber cows on Subarus. Owners have actively embraced the bovine lifestyle. From giving their Subaru cow names, to mooing other Subaru owners at traffic lights, owners go the extra mile to show their appreciation to their cars — and, um, cows. The movement complements Subaru’s cute and quirky nature that has helped it survive and thrive.
Looking to be a part of the Moo Moo Subaru movement and show your appreciation to fellow Subaru owners? All you need is a rubber (or plastic) cow figurine. If you spot a Subaru in the wild that you like, place the cow on the car, preferably with a complimentary note featuring a catchy bovine phrase. You can even use the hashtag #MooMooSubaru for the owner to share on social media. Ideally, place it somewhere the owner will easily find it, like the door handle or windshield. You can also join the Moo Moo Subaru Facebook group and share pictures of cow Subaru sightings.
In a world where car culture is turning out to be more of an expensive hobby, a one-dollar rubber cow can still make you part of a community. Moo Moo Subaru is a quirky movement we can get behind as it doesn’t run on horsepower, or expensive rims — instead it rests on smiles and mutual appreciation for each other’s rides.