Giant Rubber Duck Floats Around The World (VIDEO)

It's hard to feel blue when you see an 85-foot-tall yellow rubber duckie.

Well, that's the theory of Dutch artist Flortijn Hofman, who is putting it to the test by sending an inflatable rubber duck of that size on a five-year mission around the globe -- including, so far, Auckland, New Zealand; Osaka, Japan; and France's Loire Valley.

Hofman, who is based in Rotterdam, has also created giant frogs and bunnies, but he has a special place in his heart for the duck, according to Twisted Sifter.

"The Rubber Duck knows no frontiers, it doesn’t discriminate people and doesn’t have a political connotation," he told the website. "The friendly, floating Rubber Duck has healing properties: it can relieve mondial tensions as well as define them."

Vanessa Yurkevich of Buzz60 is not impressed that the giant duck is able to duck... er, avoid getting bogged down by political labels.

"Obviously," she said. "It's a rubber duck."