'Like winning the lottery': Viral 'Hawk Tuah' girl rides wave of fame

NEW DELHI: The viral 'Hawk Tuah' girl', Hailey Welch has gained sudden popularity worldwide after a YouTuber's question about a bed move that drives men crazy. Her 5-second response, 'hawk tuah,' has been reposted extensively, garnering billions of views on social media platforms.
According to Yahoo finance,talent manager Taylor Reilly compared the reaction to winning the lottery.
"Something like this is like winning the lottery," he said.
Welch is capitalizing on her viral fame by collaborating with clothing brand Flathead Threads to sell "hawk tuah" merchandise, including signed and plain hats.
According to Rolling Stones, brand owner Jason Poteete told that wanted to make sure Welch was a part of the process, but didn't reveal how much of a cut she was getting from the sales.
“Of course, she hasn’t gotten a dime from the first viral video that went out,” Poteete said. “Nobody was asking permission for her to do nothing, neither. I just wanted her to get some profit off of this deal.”
With 2,000 hats sold, sales have reached nearly AUD$100,000. Brand owner Jason Poteete ensured Welch was involved in the process and received a portion of the profits.
Examples of viral content creators turning brief fame into successful careers include New York-based TikToker Megan Boni and Danielle Bregoli, also known as Bhad Bhabie. Boni's viral video led to a music deal, while Bregoli's catchphrase from Dr. Phil launched her rap career.
Despite the benefits, going viral can be overwhelming and invasive. Poteete said that Welch's struggle with sudden fame, while Reilly highlighted privacy concerns. Misinformation about Welch being a fired teacher due to kids imitating her catchphrase has circulated.
"Attention is hard to secure, and, most importantly, knowing what to do with it is even harder," he said. "By the time it takes this woman to not be overwhelmed and think, 'What should I be doing with this?' It's probably done and gone."
Meanwhile, Ian Aldridge of Progressive Legal mentioned the rise in trademarks for viral content but warned against others trying to trademark Welch's phrase in Australia due to potential legal issues and possible rejection by authorities if deemed offensive.
Who is Hawk Tuah girl?
'Hawk tuah' is an Internet sensation with a woman identified as the source of these viral memes. Social media users are puzzled, bewildered by the 'Hawk tuah' girl whose hilarious spitting act is now all over the Internet. Yes, you guessed it right. 'Hawk tuah' is the sound of the spitting act. The girl appeared on Tim and Dee TV's video and she was asked this erotic question: "What's one move in bed that makes a man go crazy every time?".
"Oh you have got to give it that 'hawk tuah' and spit on that thang, you get me?" the girl replied without even taking a moment to think.
The interview was originally shared on June 11 and now there are remixes on 'hawk tuah'. People are now looking for the 'hawk tuah' girl and merchandise with this phase are selling out fast.