Crazy Frog began as The Annoying Thing, a computer animated character created in Sweden in 2003 to accompany a motorbike imitation sound effect recorded years earlier. The character exploded as a mobile ringtone phenomenon, then reached a wider audience in 2005 with a dance cover of Axel F that topped charts in several countries. Clips and remixes spread through early internet forums, video sites and phones, turning the Frog into a symbol of mid 2000s ringtone culture. Its babbling refrain remains instantly recognisable and is still reused for nostalgic meme humour.