Dude’s stardom started back in 2019 when Seth Philips, also known as the famous Dude holding signs, and Elliot Tabele held up a cardboard sign saying “Stop replying-all to company-wide emails” in New York City’s Soho neighborhood. The shot was initially made to be shared on Tabele’s Instagram account but after his follower count blew up, the duo realized their low-key protests were something the internet went crazy about.
Previously, Seth told Forbes that the signs were inspired by the never-ending list of first-world problems millennials have had enough of. But what made Dude With Sign really popular is just how relatable his truth bombs really were. The signs' universal appeal has amassed Seth a whopping 7.5M followers.
Today, Dude With Sign's influence is indisputable. Just a few days ago, I stumbled across Dude With Sign shirts in the isles of the street fashion giant Zara. The collection of shirts featured a couple of the most popular pics of Dude holding a punny sign.
Meanwhile, during the worldwide pandemic, Seth has collaborated with the World Health Organisation on a series of memes to share accurate information about how to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The series of pics was aimed at those who use Instagram as their news source and they included messages like “Elbow bumps are the new handshakes” and “Just chill. Your friends aren’t doing anything, anyway.” Both fun and lighthearted, Dude’s signs have helped to spread a crucial point at the height of the global health crisis.
