The Instagram account world_record_egg published the world’s most liked pictured on the platform, last January: an egg. On February 4th, the account shared a new strange video.
On January 4th 2019, the Instagram account world_record_egg broke the Internet by becoming the world’s most liked picture on the social media. The publication was the image of a simple egg, with a legend inviting the account’s followers to like the picture, in order to beat socialite Kylie Jenner’s record. One month later, the egg has now accumulated more than 52 million likes, and its Instagram, more than 10 million followers. A successful gamble for Chris Godfrey, the 29-year-old advertising creative based in London, and owner of the account.
A success that may raise a few questions: how could this egg beat such a record so fast? What were Chris Godfrey’s motivations? Why did he choose to feature this particular food? Though the post’s absurdity is obvious, it highlights the power of social networks. On a platform such as Instagram, an egg has suddenly become more important than a popular influencer. A nod at the media’s importance in our society. “An egg has no gender, race or religion. An egg is an egg, it’s universal”, the account’s owner tells the New York Times, to explain his curious choice.
Help mentalities evolve
Following the first post’s success, the Instagram account published a second image, on January 18th: a mysterious cracking egg. Three other pictures followed this first clue, showing a more and more cracked shell. On February 2nd, world_record_egg announced “everything will be revealed this Sunday, following the Super Bowl”. The result was surprising: an ad, produced by American streaming platform Hulu, showed the egg addressing the audience. “Recently I’ve started to crack. The pressure of social media is getting to me. If you’re struggling too, talk to someone”. A reference to the impact of social media, and the falsely perfect life they advertise.
“Egg Gang’s first creative project is an awareness piece”, Chris Godfrey and his partners explain. By accompanying this ad with a hashtag, #talkingegg, and a website referencing associations dedicated to mental health, the Instagram account wishes to help mentalities evolve. Though the creator of world_record_egg acknowledges his first idea was a simple “trend”, he now wishes to use this popularity cleverly. “It has been a fluke, but it’s a fluke that caught the world’s attention,” he told the New York Times. “It’s what you do with that attention that counts.” A good way to rethink the role of influencers on Instagram.
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