fig. 1: corporate duck

But they don’t give you a lot of design direction. After internal debate about how to decorate the duck, we had to send the following request to the A2Y Chamber for clarification:

Dear A2Y Chamber:

As we at Metro Delivery prepare to customize our Corporate Duck for the A2Y Chamber Corporate Duck Challenge at the Heritage Festival in Ypsilanti, questions have arisen about specific limitations that may be imposed on the project, hypothetically.

Is there any reason to believe the following enhancements may disqualify our duck?

1. Remote Control Engines or Propulsion Rockets

2. Trained Mice inside on a paddlewheel or rowing, galley-style

3. Proximity-Triggered machine guns and/or flamethrowers

4. The substitution of an actual duck for the plastic one provided

Although there is little likelihood that our final design will incorporate all  or any of these accessories specifically, Metro Delivery’s Corporate Policy requires that we clearly define the extreme parameters of a challenge, in order to achieve best results-  and to prepare defenses and contingencies, i.e. if a competing duck will be firing torpedoes, we may choose to armor our Corporate Duck’s  undercarriage.

 We look forward to the event on August 19th, and thank you and the A2Y Chamber for sponsoring and coordinating the Corporate Duck Challenge!

Sincerely,

Metro Delivery

…the A2Y Chamber was quick to respond that motors and explosive devices were prohibited, which was a little disappointing.

Evidently any other modifications are fair game however, so we went with our TRUE SECRET PLAN: We replaced their Duck with our trained Company Penguin, Presto. Bet they never saw that coming.

fig. 2: corporate penguin

Extensive testing of his swimming ability was performed in the Metro Delivery kitchen, and Presto performed admirably.

fig.3: corporate penguin flotation test

As a coup de grâce we gave him a package to deliver to the finish line, as incentive.

fig 4: penguin, loaded.

Come on out to Riverside Park in Ypsilanti this Sunday 8/19/2012 to cheer for Metro’s duck! er, penguin! Race starts at 3:30 PM!

Race results next week! We think Presto will do great- unless the herring are running.