Dude With Sign has been a staple on Instagram for years now. The concept of the account is simple, but it resonates with millions around the globe. The page has amassed an impressive 8 million followers, despite sharing only 388 images. The signs are often complaints about small, petty annoyances such as people bragging about listening to their favorite musicians before they were big or bosses scheduling meetings for things that could have been explained in an email. But one thing’s for sure: followers love them.
The man behind Dude With Sign, who’s always seen wearing sunglasses, is Seth Phillips, a native Texan and now New York local who had no idea this page would ever reach so much success. According to an interview Seth did with Forbes in 2020, the account had very humble beginnings, as the first couple of posts were only created to go on Jerry Media founder Elliot Tebele’s Instagram account. After these pics went viral, however, the men quickly realized they were onto something.
Dude With Sign amassed a whopping 4 million followers over the course of only 4 months after it was created, making Seth somewhat famous seemingly overnight. He told Forbes that suddenly the corners he would stand at with signs started filling up within minutes with lots of fans who had their phones out snapping photos.
“When I'm finished, a lot of people will ask to take pictures with me or videos, which is still something to get used to,” Seth shared. “It's a very strange feeling, but it also kind of cracks me up that people are seeing me as a famous person for holding up cardboard signs.”
As far as where the ideas for Dude With Sign’s new pics come from, Seth shared that his colleagues are a major help. “We work in a pretty funny and creative space so once the account kicked off, more ideas came in from the team,” he told Forbes. “When creating the protests, we try to come up with something funny that is relatable that people don't particularly talk about. We try to have each of these elements while appealing to every type of person, which is a big part of why I think the account has accumulated as many followers as it has.”
Seth has even seen so much success from Dude With Sign that he’s been able to meet Ellen DeGeneres and President Joe Biden. He told Forbes that he wasn’t sure what the future holds, but he’s enjoying the experience of it all. “There are interesting opportunities that I would have never imagined coming my way with this all the time,” Seth shared. “Right now I’m kind of just riding the wave, dipping my toes in different things. Ellen, for example, was something cool that got me really interested in how television works. I’m just learning, doing my best, and meeting awesome people and I’m confident something awesome will come my way.”
Seth’s signs also sometimes hit heavier topics than simple office drama or annoyances you encounter while walking down the street. In 2021, Dude With Sign got to visit the White House and promote COVID-19 vaccines with none other than President Joe Biden. Seth held up a sign stating, “Let’s Look Out For Each Other And Get Vaccinated.” And Joe stood proudly next to him with a wholesome sign stating, “This Dude Gets It, Folks.”
As far as how Seth manages to get the perfect shots of him with his signs for social media, he told Daquan, “I used to only stand out there for a few minutes just to get the picture, but now I'm out there for way longer... I end up staying out there for a couple of hours, trying to be nice and take pictures with everyone who asks."
