AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:
Hey, Robert.
ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:
Yeah?
CORNISH: OK. Dog goes woof.
SIEGEL: Sure.
CORNISH: Cat goes meow.
SIEGEL: Last time I checked, yes.
CORNISH: Bird goes tweet.
SIEGEL: It's interesting, Audie. But where are you going with this?
CORNISH: All right. Cue the music.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "THE FOX (WHAT DOES THE FOX SAY?)")
YLVIS: (Singing) But there's one sound that no one knows. What does the fox say? Ring-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding. Gering-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding. Gering-ding...
CORNISH: That's the Norwegian comedy duo Ylvis. Back in September, the group released a music video called "The Fox." It's a silly song and dance that answers the question: What does the fox say?
SIEGEL: And today, the video has more than 170 million views, inspiring T-shirts, hoodies, bumper stickers and baby onesies. It has also led to a boom in Halloween costumes; specifically, fox costumes.
LISA BARR: We couldn't keep them in stock. They were pretty much flying out the door as soon as we got them in.
CORNISH: That's Lisa Barr, senior director of marketing and creative at the costume store Spirit Halloween.
TOM FALLENSTEIN: We actually blew through all of that inventory, and sold out Oct. 3rd.
CORNISH: Tom Fallenstein is CEO of HalloweenCostumes.com.
SIEGEL: And it's a similar story over at the website BuyCostumes.com, where Dana Palzkill is vice president of merchandising.
DANA PALZKILL: We have seen a huge increase in fox costumes selling, actually a little over a 300 percent increase.
SIEGEL: Palzkill even bought one herself.
PALZKILL: And actually, I have a fox costume I wore to a party last week. (Laughter)
CORNISH: So while the fox may sound like this in the video...
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "THE FOX (WHAT DOES THE FOX SAY?)")
YLVIS: (Singing) Joff-tchoff-tchoffo-tchoffo-tchoff. Joff-tchoff-tchoffo-tchoffo-tchoff...
CORNISH: ...for Halloween costume retailers, the fox sounds an awful lot like this...
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "FOR THE LOVE OF MONEY")
THE O'JAYS: (Singing) Money, money, money, money, money. Money. Money, money, money, money, money. Money. Money, money, money, money, money...
SIEGEL: You're listening to ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, from NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.