The Egg was “Laid”
Photo credit: world_record_egg
On January 4, 2019, this plain brown egg, captured the attention of the entire world with an Instagram post tagged, “Let’s set a world record together and get the most liked post on Instagram. Beating the current world record held by Kylie Jenner (18 million)! We got this.” Little did anyone know, that this seemingly ordinary egg would soon become an extraordinary symbol of the power of collective action in life.
It’s curious that in the midst of the challenges going on around the world, one little egg would have grabbed the world’s attention. This little egg beat the records of the slay queens and kings, the resilient, talented, wealthy and most successful people on the planet. In about 10 days, the egg surpassed Kylie Jenner’s record, garnering over 18 million likes. The post continued to attract attention, eventually amassing over 55 million likes, making an all-time history. According to the Guinness World Records’ official Twitter account, it was still the most liked photograph on Instagram in 2022. In 2023, it had 60 million likes, though it lost the number 1 spot of the most liked image on Instagram to Lionel Messi in the same year.
I think that the simplicity of the the image of the egg and the idea captured the imagination of the world. Godfrey, a London-based advertising practitioner, with his colleagues Alissa Khan-Whelan and CJ Brown, aimed to explore the dynamics of viral content and the power of social media to unveil a fundamental life issue (mental health) with an egg.
The Egg–volution
Some weeks after becoming the most liked picture on Instagram, the egg, eventually named Eugene, continued to evolve and cracked open “under the pressure of social media fame to reveal an important message about mental health. The unassuming speckled brown egg — which had amassed more than 55 million likes in just under a month — spoke about the importance of seeking help when having a difficult time.
This pivot from a viral stunt to a meaningful message was widely praised and demonstrated the egg’s potential for positive social impact and his colleagues could have engaged the world with any object though, but I daresay that food is a common denominator to every man and indeed a glue that brings people together.
The Egg Legacy
The World Record Egg is a testament to the potential to what the world can achieve if people come together for a common cause, whether it’s setting a world record or raising awareness for important issues. Today, as many as 309 million people are facing acute levels of food insecurity in 72 countries.
The Sum of This
The story of the most liked egg is a fascinating chapter in the collective history of life. The World Record Egg will be remembered not just for its record-breaking likes, but for its unique journey from a simple image to a global icon with a meaningful message. Food can surely make the world a better place – in the eating and use as a catalyst for change.
Just wondering who ate the egg though; he or she should also be in the record books too, don’t you think? Should we go in search of who ate the egg? #whoatetheegg
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