The key is TOP companies
I cringe at the thought of some run-of-the-mill consultancy asking someone "How many cows are in Canada" type questions. They think that if Google does it then it must be a thing successful companies do and thus their company will be successful if they do the same thing.
If the interviewer is not aware of precisely why this question is asked, what it is trying to determine, and how to evaluate responses, it will all be a waste of time. Most interviewers haven't the slightest clue how to evaluate how a candidate thinks.
Incidentally, that question about the penguin and the sombrero is the dumbest thing I've ever heard of. What useful information could you possibly gain from the candidate's answer, other than perhaps to gauge the candidate's ability to convincingly B.S. you. Maybe that's what these questions are really designed to assess. For a consultancy, that would make total sense.
